Building management system with unified sensor network

ABSTRACT

A building management system includes a plurality of network-connected sensors installed in or around a place comprising at least one space. The building management system also includes a control engine configured to identify a space profile associated with the space. The space profile is one of a plurality of selectable space profiles for the space. At least two of the plurality of space profiles are associated with a different type of space serving a different function. The space profile includes one or more attributes for the space and a corresponding target value for each of the attributes. The control engine is also configured to receive and process data from the sensors to determine an actual value of each of the attributes and control one or more devices that serve the space to drive the actual value of each attributed toward the corresponding target value defined by the space profile.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/952,173 filed Apr. 12, 2018, which claims the benefit of and priorityto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/485,282 filed Apr. 13,2017. Both of these patent applications are incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to building domain systems(BDSs). A BDS is, in general, a system configured to control, monitor,and manage devices in or around a building or building area. As usedherein, “devices” includes any building equipment, devices, apparatuses,sensors, etc. that provide measurements or data relating to a space orthat can be controlled to change the condition of a space (e.g., lightlevel, locked/unlocked, temperature, humidity). Accordingly, as usedherein “devices” includes HVAC equipment (e.g., air handling units,chillers), thermostats, light fixtures, locks, sensors (detectors forsmoke, heat, gas, flames, carbon monoxide, glass breaks, motion, andlight; sensor that measure temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide,ambient light, and occupancy; presence/identity sensors (e.g., cardreaders, RFID receivers); cameras (e.g., video capture, image capture)and microphones), and other apparatuses (e.g., sound systems, blinds,appliances, garage doors, beds, televisions). Devices may also bereferred to herein as environmental controller assets.

Conventionally, a BDS is a domain-specific system that manages equipmentof a particular building domain, for example a HVAC system, a securitysystem, a lighting system, or a fire alerting system. Although in somecases multiple domain-specific systems have been placed in communicationwith one another as discussed below, such integrated systems do notcapture the full potential of interoperability, functionality, andinterdependence between building devices.

Furthermore, conventional BDS are focused on particular domains andtypes of devices, rather than the missions and functions of a place(e.g., a building, a campus) or a space (e.g., a floor, room, hallway,etc. included in a place) or the events occurring at such spaces andplaces. A disconnect therefore exists in conventional systems betweenthe way occupants think about and utilize spaces and places and the wayBDS are operated and controlled. Additionally, the collection of datafrom sensors and other data sources in conventional BDS placessubstantial limits and restrictions on the usefulness of that data.Further, in conventional BDS, the collection and generation ofutilization metrics for spaces and places often does not capture theactual usage of the spaces and places, and may therefore prevent usersfrom acquiring the information needed for successful energy managementor other building management and planning decision-making.

SUMMARY

One implementation of the present disclosure is a building managementsystem (BMS) including a plurality of network-connected sensorsinstalled in or around a place comprising at least one space. Theplurality of network-connected sensors are associated with multiplebuilding domains. The BMS includes a profiles repository configured tostore a plurality of predefined space profiles. At least two of theplurality of predefined space profiles are designated for a differenttype of space serving a different function. The BMS includes a controlengine configured to: identify a space profile designated for the space,the plurality of predefined space profiles comprising the space profileand the space profile comprising one or more attributes of the space anda corresponding target value for each of the attributes; receive andprocess data from the sensors to determine an actual value for each ofthe attributes; determine a set of settings for one or more devices thatserve the space based on the target value for each of the attributes andthe actual value for each of the attributes; and, in response todetermining the set of settings, distribute the set of settings to theone or more devices to cause the one or more devices that serve thespace to drive the actual value of each attribute toward thecorresponding target value defined by the space profile.

In some embodiments, the control engine is configured to select thespace profile from the plurality of space profiles, at least two of thespace profiles comprising different settings for the one or more devicesthat serve the space; and in response to selecting the space profile,distribute the settings defined by the selected space profile to the oneor more devices that serve the space. Distributing the settings maycause the one or more devices that serve the space to operate inaccordance with the settings defined by the selected space profile.

In some embodiments, the plurality of network-connected sensors includea first sensor that measures a first physical parameter and a secondsensor that measures a second physical parameter. The first physicalparameter and the second physical parameter may have different units ofmeasure. The control engine may be configured to determine the actualvalue for a first attribute of the one or more attributes using datafrom the first sensor and data from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the control engine is configured to calculate theactual value for the first attribute using the data from the firstsensor and verify an accuracy of the actual value for the firstattribute or a condition indicated by the actual value of the firstattribute using the data from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the space profile include a first attribute of thespace and a second attribute of the space. The first attribute and thesecond attribute may indicate different physical characteristics orconditions of the space. The control engine may be configured todetermine both the actual value for the first attribute and the actualvalue for the second attribute using data from a first sensor of theplurality of network-connected sensors, determine first settings of theset of settings for a first device of the one or more devices based onthe first attribute, and determine second settings of the set ofsettings for a second device of the one or more devices based on thesecond attribute. The first device and the second device may beassociated with different domains.

In some embodiments, the control engine is configured to determine afirst actual value of a first attribute of a first space of the place,determine a second actual value of a second attribute of a second spaceof the place, and identify a place profile for the place. The placeprofile may define how the place is used. The control engine may beconfigured to enable a feature for the place based on the place profile,the first actual value of the first attribute of the first space, andthe second actual value of the second attribute of the second space.

In some embodiments, the control engine is configured to recognize anaddition of a new sensor to the plurality of network-connected sensors,establish a link with the new sensor, identify a space associated withthe new sensor, receive data from the new sensor, and use the data fromthe new sensor to determine first settings of the set of settings for afirst device of the one or more devices. The first device may serve thespace associated with the new sensor.

Another implementation of the present disclosure is a method includinginstalling a plurality of network-connected sensors in or around a placecomprising at least one space, the plurality of network-connectedsensors associated with multiple building domains; storing a pluralityof predefined space profiles in a profiles repository, at least two ofthe plurality of predefined space profiles designated for a differenttype of space serving a different function; identifying a space profiledesignated for the space, the plurality of predefined space profilescomprising the space profile and the space profile comprising one ormore attributes of the space and a corresponding target value for eachof the attributes; receiving and processing data from the sensors todetermine an actual value for each of the attributes; determining a setof settings for one or more devices that service the space based on thetarget value for each of the attributes and the actual value for each ofthe attributes; and in response to determining the set of settings,distributing the set of settings to the one or more devices to cause theone or more devices that serve the space to drive the actual value ofeach attribute toward the corresponding target value defined by thespace profile.

In some embodiments, the method includes selecting the space profilefrom the plurality of space profiles. At least two of the space profilesmay include different settings for the one or more devices that servethe space. The method may include in response to selecting the spaceprofile, distributing the settings defined by the selected space profileto the one or more devices that serve the space. Distributing thesettings may cause the one or more devices that serve the space tooperate in accordance with the settings defined by the selected spaceprofile.

In some embodiments, the method includes measuring a first physicalparameter using a first sensor of the plurality of network-connectedsensors and measuring a second physical parameter using a second sensorof the plurality of network-connected sensors. The first physicalparameter and the second physical parameter may have different units ofmeasure. The method may include determining the actual value for a firstattribute of the one or more attributes using data from the first sensorand data from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the method includes calculating the actual valuefor the first attribute using the data from the first sensor andverifying an accuracy of the actual value for the first attribute or acondition indicated by the actual value of the first attribute using thedata from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the space profile includes a first attribute of thespace and a second attribute of the space. The first attribute and thesecond attribute may indicate different physical characteristics orconditions of the space. The method may include determining both theactual value for the first attribute and the actual value for the secondattribute using data from a first sensor of the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors, determining first settings of the set ofsettings for a first device of the one or more devices based on thefirst attribute, and determining second settings of the set of settingsfor a second device of the one or more devices based on the secondattribute. The first device and the second device may be associated withdifferent domains.

In some embodiments, the method includes determining a first actualvalue of a first attribute of a first space of the place, determining asecond actual value of a second attribute of a second space of theplace, and identifying a place profile for the place. The place profilemay define how the place is used. The method may include enabling afeature for the place based on the place profile, the first actual valueof the first attribute of the first space, and the second actual valueof the second attribute of the second space.

In some embodiments, the method includes recognizing an addition of anew sensor to the plurality of network-connected sensors, establishing alink with the new sensor, identifying a space associated with the newsensor, receiving data from the new sensor, and using the data from thenew sensor to control a first device of the one or more devices. Thefirst device may serve the space associated with the new sensor.

Another implementation of the present disclosure is one or morenon-transitory computer readable media containing program instructions.When executed by one or more processors, the instructions cause the oneor more processors to perform operations including installing aplurality of network-connected sensors in or around a place comprisingat least one space. The plurality of network-connected sensors may beassociated with multiple building domains. The operations includestoring a plurality of predefined space profiles in a profilesrepository. At least two of the plurality of predefined space profilesare designated for a different type of space serving a differentfunction. The operations include identifying a space profile designatedfor the space. The plurality of predefined space profiles include thespace profile and the space profile includes one or more attributes ofthe space and a corresponding target value for each of the attributes.The operations include receiving and processing data from the sensors todetermine an actual value for each of the attributes, determining a setof settings for one or more devices that service the space based on thetarget value for each of the attributes and the actual value for each ofthe attributes, and in response to determining the set of settings,distributing the set of settings to the one or more devices to cause theone or more devices that serve the space to drive the actual value ofeach attribute toward the corresponding target value defined by thespace profile.

In some embodiments, the operations further include selecting the spaceprofile from the plurality of space profiles. At least two of the spaceprofiles may include different settings for the one or more devices thatserve the space. In some embodiments, the operations include, inresponse to selecting the space profile, distributing the settingsdefined by the selected space profile to the one or more devices thatserve the space. Distributing the settings may cause the one or moredevices that serve the space to operate in accordance with the settingsdefined by the selected space profile.

In some embodiments, the operations further include measuring a firstphysical parameter using a first sensor of the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors and measuring a second physical parameterusing a second sensor of the plurality of network-connected sensors. Thefirst physical parameter and the second physical parameter may havedifferent units of measure. The operations may include determining theactual value for a first attribute of the one or more attributes usingdata from the first sensor and data from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the operations further include calculating theactual value for the first attribute using the data from the firstsensor and verifying an accuracy of the actual value for the firstattribute or a condition indicated by the actual value of the firstattribute using the data from the second sensor.

In some embodiments, the space profile includes a first attribute of thespace and a second attribute of the space. The first attribute and thesecond attribute may indicate different physical characteristics orconditions of the space. The operations may include determining both theactual value for the first attribute and the actual value for the secondattribute using data from a first sensor of the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors, determining first settings of the set ofsettings for a first device of the one or more devices based on thefirst attribute, and determining second settings of the set of settingsfor a second device of the one or more devices based on the secondattribute. The first device and the second device may be associated withdifferent domains.

In some embodiments, the operations include determining a first actualvalue of a first attribute of a first space of the place, determining asecond actual value of a second attribute of a second space of theplace, and identifying a place profile for the place. The place profilemay define how the place is used. The operations may include enabling afeature for the place based on the place profile, the first actual valueof the first attribute of the first space, and the second actual valueof the second attribute of the second space.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary isillustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Otheraspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices and/orprocesses described herein, as defined solely by the claims, will becomeapparent in the detailed description set forth herein and taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosurewill become more apparent and better understood by referring to thedetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference characters identify correspondingelements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generallyindicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similarelements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the concepts of occupants, spaces,places, and devices, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a visualization of spaces and places, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an example of a conventional collection of building domainsystems for a building.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional set of building domainsystems.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional integration system for usewith the building domain systems of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a unified building management system with spacecontrol, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a unified control architecture for buildingequipment, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the differences between space profiles, accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of physical spaces, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of the behaviors of devices in a space, accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of device groups of a place communicating,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a mobile device for navigation within a place,according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating application of the space-centricapproach in each phase of a building lifecycle, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the benefits of the space-centricapproach across the building lifecycle, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 15 is a detailed block diagram of a unified control engine for usewith the unified control architecture of FIG. 7, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a first block diagram of a profiles repository for use withthe unified control architecture of FIG. 7, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 17 is a second block diagram of a profiles repository for use withthe unified control architecture of FIG. 7, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 18 is a before-and-after visualization of space profilesassignation in the unified control engine of FIG. 15, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a place profile with space profiles in theunified control engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a detailed block diagram of the mode logic engine of theunified control engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of the unified control engine of FIG. 15 witha developer device and the profiles repository of FIGS. 16-17, accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a process for mode-based control with theunified control engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a visualization of another process for mode-based controlwith the unified control engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplaryembodiment

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a personalization circuit of the unifiedcontrol engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of a criticality circuit of the unifiedcontrol engine of FIG. 15, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram of data objects for use in a unified controlengine or a unified building management system, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a detailed block diagram of the unified control architectureof FIG. 19 with a unified sensor network, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 28 is a block diagram of a data aggregation circuit in the unifiedcontrol architecture of FIG. 7, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a block diagram of data objects for use with the unifiedsensor network in the example of FIG. 28, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram of a unified sensor network, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 31 is an illustration of an example sensor layout for a space madepossible by the unified sensor network, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 32 is an illustration of an example feature for a place madepossible by the unified sensor network, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 33 is a flowchart of a conventional process of sensor installationand configuration.

FIG. 34 is a flowchart of a process for automated, plug-and-play sensorinstallation in the unified sensor network.

FIG. 35 is a block diagram of a space utilization circuit in use in aunified building management system, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 36 is a graph of space utilization generated by the spaceutilization circuit of FIG. 35, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 37 is an interface for a building management application, accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Introduction

People experience the spaces and places with which they engage in manyways: they work in spaces and places, reside in spaces and places,entertain themselves in spaces and places, shop in spaces and places,heal in spaces and places, dine in spaces and places, etc., experiencingall aspects of life in spaces and places. People think about spaces andplaces from the perspective of these experiences: a space or a place issomewhere an event occurs, a job must be done, a mission is supported,or some other experience plays out. In the ideal scenario, spaces,places, and the devices that serve the spaces and places wouldseamlessly and intuitively support the goals, missions, needs, desires,and perspectives of the people experiencing those spaces and places.

However, a disconnect exists between conventional building domainsystems and the way people see spaces and places. Conventional devices,and systems of conventional devices, are often designed, chosen, andoperated to focus primarily on the needs of the devices or systemsthemselves. A space or place is typically served by many devices acrossmany domains, for example HVAC, fire, access, security, lighting, etc.The devices of the various domains are typically independent of oneanother, with devices and systems for each domain designed, chosen, andinstalled with the focus on the particular domain. Each of the variousbuilding domain systems may be operated independently, achieving alimited impact on the way a person experiences a space or place.Interactions with each domain are often limited to terms familiar tothat domain (e.g., HVAC systems are set to temperature setpoints,lighting systems turn on and off lights, access systems lock and unlockdoors), rather than in terms of what missions, goals, tasks, or eventsthat an occupant desires a space or place to support. This results indisjointed, time-consuming, and unfulfilling experiences for peopleattempting to use a space or place.

The systems and methods described herein provide an innovative space-and place-centric approach that seamlessly aligns the way that peoplethink about and experience spaces and places with the way that devicesare controlled to support those experiences. The space- andplace-centric approach may eliminate the barriers between the way peopleconceive of the missions of spaces and places, the jobs people need tocomplete in spaces and places, events that occur in spaces and places,etc. and the way that the devices that support those missions, jobs,events, etc. are chosen, designed, and controlled. The way that data iscollected and processed relating to spaces and places, for exampleutilization metrics about spaces and places, may be similarly alignedwith the missions and purposes of the spaces and places.

These advantages may be supported across any of the extensive variety oftypes of spaces and places with which people engage, tuned precisely tothe missions and purposes of each particular space or place. Forexample, offices, office buildings, retail stores, warehouses,hospitals, patient rooms, operating rooms, waiting rooms, movietheaters, stadiums, arenas, malls, restaurants, hotels, apartments,factories, gymnasiums, classrooms, libraries, and/or any other type ofspace or place experienced by people may have its own purposes,missions, and jobs and events to support. The systems and methodsdescribed herein may contemplate all such spaces and places and mayallow for efficient installation, updates, data collection and controlsof devices well-suited for all such spaces and places and anycombination of spaces and places.

Several features, summarized here and described in detail below withreference to the FIGURES, facilitate this space- and place-centricapproach. To start, the sensors, networks, controllers, and othersystems in the space- and place-centric approach may be domain-agnostic.That is, the systems and methods disclosed herein may eliminate thebarriers between domain-specific systems, unifying all domains into aunified control system. Although the space- and place-centric approachmay be implemented by integrating or otherwise facilitatingcommunication between building domain systems, in some embodiments theapproach is implemented using a unified building management system(UBMS). A UBMS may place all devices, sensors, etc. in a single system,eliminating barriers between domains and facilitating the exchange ofdata, controls, resources, etc. across all components of the UBMS. Allsensors and devices that can be used to influence the way a personexperiences a space or place may be unified in the UBMS. Thus, the UBMSmay allow all devices serving a space or place to be controlled as aunified group that supports a mission, purpose, job, or event for thespace or place.

Next, space profiles for the spaces and place profiles for the placescan be used to facilitate the space- and place-centric approach. Eachspace or place profile may define many aspects of how the space or placeis designed, controlled, perceived, and used, and may include all orsubstantially all of the information needed to control the space orplace across domains and to collect and analyze data relating to thespace or place. Space and place profiles can be designed and createdbased on how people experience each space and place, including the jobspeople need to accomplish in a space or place, the missions the space orplace supports, the purpose of a space or place, and/or events that mayoccur in the space or place. Different types of spaces and places mayhave different space or place profiles specific to that type of space orplace, such that each space or place profile reflects the needs of thatparticular space or place.

Space and place profiles can be easily loaded onto control systems forspaces and places (e.g., onto a UBMS) to easily and efficiently alignsystems and devices with the purposes, missions, goals, etc. of thespaces and places represented by the profiles. Further, space and placeprofiles can be easily updated or switched to respond to changes to thespace or place. For example, when a place is remodeled or reimaginedsuch that a space that was formerly used as one type of space (e.g., anoffice) is reimagined as another type of space (e.g., a conferenceroom), the space profile for that space can be easily switched from an“office” space profile to a “conference room” space profile.Space-centric control can thus be immediately aligned with the newpurposes, missions, functions, and goals of the space. Space and placeprofiles thereby provide efficient and adaptable support for the space-and place-centric control approach described herein.

Each of the space profiles that can be assigned to a given space may beassociated with a particular type of space or use of the space (e.g.,office, conference room, cafeteria, etc.) and may include settings thatfacilitate a function or purpose of that type of space or use of thespace. The settings provided by a given space profile may includesettings for various types of equipment that serve the space acrossmultiple equipment domains (e.g., settings for HVAC equipment, settingsfor lighting equipment, settings for A/V equipment, etc.). For example,the “office” space profile may include a first set of settings for HVACequipment, lighting equipment, A/V equipment, and/or other types ofequipment that serve the space that cause the equipment to be controlledin a manner that facilitates usage of the space as an office.Conversely, the “conference room” space profile may include a second setof settings for the HVAC equipment, lighting equipment, A/V equipment,and/or other types of equipment that serve the space that cause theequipment to be controlled in a manner that facilitates usage of thespace as a conference room.

Each space profile for a given space may include a different set ofsettings for some or all of the equipment that serve that space. Forexample, the HVAC settings defined by an “office” space profile maycause HVAC equipment that serve the space provide sufficient airflowand/or heating or cooling for a relatively small number of peopleoccupying the space (e.g., one person or a small group of people),whereas the HVAC settings defined by a “conference room” space profilemay cause the same HVAC equipment to provide a relatively greater amountof airflow or heating or cooling for a greater number of peopleoccupying the space (e.g., 2-10 people or a larger group of people).Similarly, the lighting settings defined by the “office” space profilemay cause lighting equipment that light the space to provide constantlighting for the space, whereas the lighting settings defined by the“conference room” space profile may cause the lighting equipment tolight the space only when the space is occupied. As another example, theoccupancy settings defined by the “office” space profile may provide afirst occupancy threshold for evaluating whether the space is fullyoccupied (e.g., one person may fully occupy an office), whereas theoccupancy settings defined by the “conference room” space profile mayprovide a second occupancy threshold for evaluating whether the space isfully occupied (e.g., 10 people may fully occupy a conference room).

In response to switching from the “office” space profile to the“conference room” space profile, the settings provided by the “office”space profile may be replaced with the settings provided by the“conference room” space profile. For example, a space controller maydistribute the settings associated with the “conference room” spaceprofile to some or all of the equipment that serve the space, causingthe equipment to operate in accordance with the settings defined by the“conference room” space profile. The settings can be distributed to anytype of equipment that serve the space, even if the equipment operateacross multiple different equipment domains (e.g., HVAC, lighting, A/V,security, IT, etc.).

Next, the space- and place-centric approach allows for control ofdevices based on modes for the spaces and places. In some embodiments,each mode corresponds to an operational mission for the space or place,a job-to-be-done in the space or place, or an event occurring in thespace or place. Each mode may correspond to settings or other commandsfor the devices in a space or place that control those devices tosupport the operational mission, the job to be done, or the event. Themodes for a space or place may be stored in the space or place profilefor the space or place profile, and, like the space or place profile,can be updated, supplemented, altered, or otherwise easily changed asneeded to adapt to new uses of a space or place. Mode changes may betriggered based on input from various sensors, specialty systems, userinputs, detected events, etc. to allow for efficient transition betweenmodes precisely as needed by occupants of a space or place. Accordingly,spaces and places, and all devices across all domains, can be controlledto enable people to use the spaces and places in many different ways.

Furthermore, spaces and places may be composable (i.e., a place may bemade up of spaces, a space may include spaces, and a place may includeplaces), and the profiles and the modes for the spaces and places can betuned to take these interrelationships into account. For example, asdescribed in detail herein, a change in mode in one space may becommunicated to related spaces and places to allow those spaces andplaces to adjust as needed to the change. Spaces, places, sensors,devices, and other systems contemplated herein may be coordinated in anamorphous web such that everything works seamlessly together to supportpeople's use of all spaces and places.

Another feature of the space- and place-centric approach describedherein is the unification of sensors that serve spaces and places. Intraditional systems, each building domain system includesdomain-specific sensors that provide data that can only be used bydevices of the corresponding domain. To achieve functionality in asecond domain that could benefit from the same information captured bythat data, additional sensors specific to the second domaintraditionally must be installed to serve the second domain. Further, intraditional systems, data from the domains is siloed and cannot beeasily combined to verify measurements, generate cross-domain metrics,and provide controls that allow a person to view the space in terms ofthe purposes or missions of the space.

In the space- and place-centric approach described herein, sensors maybe domain-agnostic and may provide data as needed by the space or placeregardless of the domain traditionally associated with any sensor or anytype of data provided by that sensor. All sensors can be combined in aunified sensor network that provides the data needed by any device, andall devices can use data from any sensor. The devices can be controlledusing aggregated data in a way that is agnostic of the source of thedata. The sensors best suited for any given space may be used in thatspace, and different types of sensors can be used within a space oracross multiple spaces and places to provide similar data attributesthat are used by the devices. Data provided across spaces, includingdata from a variety of types of sensors, can also be used to enableplace-level features like wayfinding or asset tracking. Sensor data fromsensor traditionally associated with different domains can be unifiedinto single data points or data series, for example by using one sensorto verify the accuracy of a measurement from another sensor. New sensorscan be installed in a plug-and-play manner that allows them toautomatically be included in any data calculations, control logic, orapplication that would benefit from the data from the new sensors. Theunification of domain-agnostic sensors described herein thereby greatlyenhances and supports the space- and place-centric approach.

In addition to the sources of data being tuned to the needs of eachspace, the metrics generated for each space may also be chosen to bestcapture the way people think about particular spaces and places. Forexample, the space- and place-based approach may facilitate thegeneration of actual-usage-based space utilization metrics. Differenttypes of spaces can be utilized in different ways, such that theutilization of each space can be quantified in a way that aligns withthe way people think about usage of that space. For example, usage of awarehouse may be conceptualized by users based on the volume of thespace taken up by stored goods, usage of a restroom may beconceptualized based on the resources (e.g., water, soap, paper towels,toilet paper) consumed by people in the space, and usage of a conferenceroom may be conceptualized based on how many people are in the space,among other possibilities. By aggregating data from across any sensorsor other data sources for a space or place and applying that data assuitable for calculating a utilization metric that aligns with howpeople conceptualize usage of a space, the space- and place-centricapproach facilitates the calculation of actual-usage-based utilizationmetrics. These actual-usage-based utilization metrics can then supportimproved resource management, energy management,maintenance/restocking/etc. planning, or developing other buildingmanagement strategies.

Together, these and other features described in detail below mayseamlessly align the way people think about and experience spaces andplaces with the way that devices are controlled to support thoseexperiences and the way data is collected relating to those thoughts andexperiences. As made clear with reference to the FIGURES below, space-and place-centric control of spaces and places may eliminate translationbarriers between the way people conceive of the missions of spaces andplaces, the jobs people need to complete in spaces and places, eventsthat occur in spaces and places, etc. and the way that devices thatsupport those missions, jobs, events, etc. are chosen, designed, andcontrolled. The systems and methods described herein can thereby enableintuitive, efficient, and fulfilling interactions between people andspaces and places.

Spaces & Places

Referring now to FIG. 1, a conceptual diagram of the core elements ofthe space- and place-centric systems and methods described herein isshown, according to an exemplary embodiment. In FIG. 1, occupants 702are shown to occupy place 708. Occupants 702 may be any person who is inthe place 708 and is not limited to individuals who operate the place708, maintain the place 708, live in the place 708, work in the place708, etc. Occupants 702 may occupy various spaces 704 within a place.The various spaces 704 of the building may be spaces such as an officespace, a gym space, a café space, a lab space, patient rooms, nursesstations, waiting rooms, a classroom space, parking garage, and anyother kinds of spaces that may be present in or around a place. Theoccupants 702 use the various spaces 704 in the place 708 for varioususes, purposes, missions, tasks, jobs, situations, etc. The space- andplace-centric systems and methods of the present disclosure aligncontrol of spaces and places with occupant's purposes and missions inutilizing the spaces and places.

Each physical space may have its own devices 706 and/or may sharedevices 706 with other spaces in the place 708. Devices 706 includedevices across various domains, such as HVAC devices, security devices,lighting devices, access devices, fire devices, etc. The devices 706 maywork together to achieve various outcomes in a place, as described indetail below. In general, devices 706 are controlled based on spaceprofiles and place profiles. The place profiles may be a particular datastructure that includes properties such as spaces profile for spaces 704in the place 708, modes and mode logic for controlling devices 706 inthe place, and other applications that enable uses for the place. Spaceprofiles include indication of the type of space, modes for that type ofspace, and attributes of the space, among other features as described indetail below. As described in detail herein, place- and space-profilesfacilitate place- and space-based aggregation of sensor data and controlof devices 706.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a visualization of the concept of spaces andplaces is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. A campus 1600 isshown with seven buildings 1602. In the nomenclature used herein, eachbuilding 1602 is a “place.” The campus 1600, made up of multiple places,may also be referred to as a “place”. Each of the seven buildings 1602(“Building 1”, “Building 2”, etc.) include a variety of rooms, floors,or other divisions. As one example, FIG. 2 includes an expanded view1604 of “Building 1” 1602. The expanded view 1604 shows a variety of“spaces” (i.e., floors, areas, rooms, etc.) of “Building 1” 1602. Asillustrated by space E 1606, spaces may be broken up into subspaces (inthis example, subspace E1 1608 and subspace E2 1610 make up space E1606). These subspaces may be referred to as “spaces” herein.

A place is generally made up of spaces. The place may be referred to asa “parent” of a space if the space is in that place. That space is thena “child” of that place. For example space E 1606 is a child of place“Building 1” 1602, and “Building 1” 1602 is the parent of space E 1606.Because a space (e.g., space E) may be made up of spaces (e.g., spacesE1 1608 and E2 1610) and a place (e.g., campus 1600) may be made up ofplaces, a space may have a child and/or parent space and a place mayhave a child and/or parent place.

As used herein, the term “space or place” refers to any space or placewhere a system, component, method, etc. applies to both spaces orplaces. Spaces or places are typically fixed locations/areas (e.g., withan address, GPS coordinate, etc.) but may also include mobile spaces orplaces (e.g., a ship and rooms aboard the ship). Furthermore, while“space” or “place” may be used in describing the embodiments describedherein, it should be understood that in many concepts described hereinwith reference to a space may also be applicable to a place.

Conventional Building Domain Systems and Control Architectures

Referring now to FIG. 3 a diagram of five independently-operatingconventional BDSs for a place 100 (e.g., a building and surroundingoutdoor areas) is shown for the sake of background. More particularly,an HVAC system 502, a lighting system 504, an access system 506, a videosystem 508, and a fire system 510 are shown with place 500. Inconventional BDSs, systems 502-510 operate independently, resulting inwidespread complexity. Each of the HVAC system 502, lighting system 504,access system 506, video system 508, and fire system 510 have separatenetworks and cabling, controllers and servers, and user interfaces. Forexample, HVAC devices 520 are connected by HVAC cabling 522, whilelighting devices 524 are connected by lighting cabling 525, videodevices 526 are connected by video cabling 528, access devices 530 areconnected by access cabling 532, and fire devices 534 are connected byfire cabling 536. Even when wireless networks are used instead ofphysical cabling, the wireless networks supporting each building systemare generally separate. Furthermore, different network protocols may beused by the various systems, for example LonWorks, MSTP, BACnet, ONVIF,etc., inhibiting interconnectivity. In sum, systems 502-510 areimplemented and installed as physically and electronically isolatedsystems. Limitations of such siloed systems are described withreferences to the following two figures.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, existing control architectures are shownfor the sake of comparison to the systems and methods described herein.FIG. 4 shows isolated (“siloed”) control and equipment for each of threebuilding domains. In the lighting system 1714, lighting equipment 1702is controlled by lighting controller 1704. In the HVAC system 1716, HVACequipment 1706 is controlled by the HVAC controller 1708. In the accesssystem 1718, access equipment 1710 is controlled by an access controller1712. The lighting system 1714, the HVAC system 1716, and the accesssystem 1718 are entirely independent of one another. Thus, in thearchitecture 1700 of FIG. 4, each building domain (i.e., each type offunctionality provided to the building), is siloed and operatesindependently. Creating a desired condition in a space or place usingthe isolated architecture 1700 requires separate interactions with eachdomain (i.e., lighting, HVAC, access).

FIG. 5 shows an integration architecture 1800 that attempts to integratethe separate systems 1714-1718. An integration system 1802 includes andintegrated controller 1804, a lighting integrator 1806, an HVACintegrator 1808, and an access integrator 1810. The lighting integrator1806 translates data, control signals, etc. between a data model used bythe integrated controller 1804 and a lighting data model used by thelighting system 1714. The HVAC integrator 1808 translates data, controlsignals, etc. between a data model used by the integrated controller1804 and an HVAC data model used by the HVAC system 1716. The accessintegrator 1810 translates data, control signals, etc. between a datamodel used by the integrated controller 1804 and an access data modelused by the access system 1718. The integration system 1802 therebyrelies on fragile translations, interfaces, integrations, etc. toprovide some amount of interaction across building domains. However, theintegration system 1802 is prone to errors and breakdowns, for examplecaused by software updates in one system 1714-1718. Further, integrationadds complexity, computation expenses, etc. to the operation of abuilding management system. The integration architecture 1800 maytherefore by unsatisfactory for users.

Unified Building Management System

Referring now to FIG. 6, a unified building management system (UBMS) 600is shown for a place. The UBMS 600 includes HVAC devices 602, lightingdevices 604, access devices 606, video devices 608, and fire devices 610that serve multiple spaces in place 500. The HVAC devices 602, lightingdevices 604, access devices 606, and video devices 608 are connected viaa common network (e.g., common cabling, shared wireless network). Firedevices 610 may also be connected to the common network and/or may havea separate network 614 as shown to provide extra reliability orredundancy for safety-critical functions and/or to comply withregulatory requirements. The devices 602-610 are communicable using acommon protocol (e.g., BACnet, MSTP, LonWorks, TCP/IP) and are connectedto a common server 601. The common network 612 saves costs, materials,time etc. in installation, operation, and maintenance as compared to themultitude of networks used for the combination of BDSs shown in FIG. 3.The common network 612 and the common protocol also facilitate otherbeneficial interconnectivity, interdependence, redundancy, etc. for theUBMS 600, as described in detail below.

In the UBMS 600, devices 602-610 are primarily associated with spaces inplace 500 that the devices serve. Place 500 in the example of FIG. 6 isa medical facility that includes the following spaces: patient rooms613, data center room 615, nurses' station 616, waiting room 617,outdoor area 618, and doctor's office 619. As opposed to dealing withwhat domain a device belongs to, the UBMS 600 focuses on spaces, themission of a space, and the people that use those spaces. For example,patient rooms 613 are shown with missions “heal, treat, care,” as wellas with an HVAC device 602 and lighting device 604 for each, while theoutdoor area 618 has the mission “park” and is served by a video device608. The UBMS 600 manages and controls the devices that serve each space(e.g., each patient room 213) in order to fulfill the mission of thespace. Facilitated by the removal of complexities and barriers found insimultaneous use of multiple BDSs, the UBMS 600 coordinates devicesindependent of domain to align devices, people, spaces, places, andmissions. Further details and advantages of this approach are discussedin U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/485,282 filed Apr. 13,2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/560,567 filed Sep.19, 2017. The entire disclosures of both these patent applications areincorporated by reference herein.

Each of the physical spaces of place 500 is shown to include its owngroup of devices. Each group of devices may communicate via their ownnetwork. In this regard, each group of devices may independently servicethe particular space that they are in. Each group of devices maycommunicate via the common network. However, if one of the groups losesconnection with the common network and/or common server 601 goesoffline, that group of device may be self-sufficient and may operatewithout connection to the server 601 and the rest of UBMS 600.

Server 601 may be any computing system, server, controller, laptopcomputer, desktop computer, and/or other computing device or system thatcommunicates with the device groups of the physical spaces (e.g.,patient rooms 613) of building 500. Since each device group includesaccess systems, security systems, and HVAC systems, server 601 maycommunicate with and/or control each of the systems with no integrationbetween various controllers and/or discrete systems. Further, there maybe a single operating interface 650 (e.g., interface 400 of FIG. 37)that can run on a user device, server 601, and/or communicate withserver 601. Similarly, there may also be a single configurationinterface 652 that may run on a user device, server 612, and/orcommunicate with server 612. Operating interface 652 may be the same asconfiguration interface 616. Since the device groups of building 500include a plurality of systems, operating interface 652 and/orconfiguration interface 650 may be a unification of devices acrossdomains and allow a user to operate and/or configure the plurality ofdevices (e.g., devices for HVAC, security, access, video, lighting, fireetc.).

The devices (e.g., HVAC, fire, security, lighting, access, fire etc.) ofUBMS 600 may be part of a single unified product offering. Further, thesystem may be module and the installation of UBMS 600 may be a singlemodule installation. UMBS 600 may be integrated with partner systems andmay include “deep” integrations between the systems of building 500 andpartner systems. Further, the UBMS 600 may include standard openprotocols and APIs that allow for third party systems to be integratedwith UBMS 600.

Unified Control Architecture with Spaces and Places

Referring now to FIG. 7, a block diagram of a unified controlarchitecture 1900 is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Theunified control architecture 1900 includes a unified control engine 1902that controls environmental control assets 1904. The unified controlengine 1902 may be implemented on server 601 of FIG. 6, may beimplemented a space- or place-controller, may be implemented in thecloud, may be distributed among multiple computing resources, or may beimplemented in some other way. In general, the unified controlarchitecture 1900 overcomes the shortcomings of the isolatedarchitecture 1700 and the integration architecture 1800.

The environmental control assets 1904 include various equipment,devices, sensors, actuator, etc. across multiple building domains thatare operable to modify environmental conditions at a space or place orto collected data about the environmental conditions at the space orplace. Environmental conditions include, but are not limited to,lighting levels, temperature, humidity, noise, locked/unlocked doors,blinds open/closed, windows open/closed, air pressure, and buildingalarms. Accordingly, FIG. 7 shows that the environmental control assetsinclude lighting equipment 1906, HVAC equipment 1908, access equipment1910, and other equipment 1912 (e.g., security equipment, fire detectionand alarm devices, power systems, blinds).

To facilitate unified control in the unified control engine 1902, theenvironmental control assets 1904 are controlled using a common datamodel. The common data model ensures that controls and data can becommunicated amongst the environmental control assets 1904 and betweenthe environmental control assets 1904 and the unified control engine1902 without the need for integrators/integration as in FIG. 5.

The unified control engine 1902 is structured to control theenvironmental control assets 1904 using a space- and place-basedapproach. That is, the unified control engine 1902 follows a controlapproach, described in detail below, using “modes” for the spaces orplaces. As used below, a mode is a state of a space or place (i.e., astate of the environmental control assets 1904 associated with thatspace or place) that corresponds to a purpose, mission, or function ofthe space or place as viewed by users. In general, modes may beassociated with an operational mission of the space or place, a job tobe done by a user in the space or place, or a situation triggered by anevent. Modes are defined in profiles for the spaces or places (i.e.,space profiles and place profiles), which are designed based on thepurposes and missions that occupants have for the spaces or places. Thespaces or places are thereby used as the unifying concept for control.The unified control engine 1902 is described in further detail belowwith reference to FIGS. 15-35.

To facilitate this space- and place-centric control, the unified controlengine 1902 is shown in 1900 as communicably coupled to a profilesrepository 1914. As described in detail with reference to FIGS. 16-17,the profiles repository 1914 stores space or place profiles that includethe data, applications, modes, logic, etc. used by the unified controlengine 1902 in providing unified control. More particularly, space andplace profiles are provided for each of a variety of spaces and places,as described with reference to FIGS. 16-17 below. In setting up theunified control engine 1902, space or place profiles are loaded onto theunified control engine from the profiles repository 1914 and customizedto meet the needs of particular spaces or places. The unified controlengine 1902 can thereby be quickly and easily configured to provide theunified control features described in detail below.

Space-Centric and Place-Centric Approach

Referring generally to FIGS. 8-37, systems and methods for space- andplace-centric control of devices of building equipment are shown,according to an exemplary embodiments. Devices of various buildingdomains, including fire devices, HVAC devices, access devices, lightingdevices, security devices, and/or various other devices may all serve aphysical place. Within each physical place (e.g., building or campus),multiple physical spaces (e.g., lobbies, office spaces, cafeterias) mayexist. The physical spaces may all be the same, similar, and/or mayserve discrete and/or unique purposes.

Physical spaces may each have a unique requirement and thus, eachphysical space may include a variety of devices of various domains. Thebuilding management system unifies devices of various building domainsin a single, unified building management system. Each physical spacewithin a physical place may have a unique group of devices that servethe physical space. The group of devices includes any devices from anydomains. For example, a group of devices for a particular physical spacemay include security cameras, entry access sensors, lighting devices, athermostat, and/or air conditioning devices. The group of devices may beunified in a single system and/or run on a single network and/or mayotherwise communicate among each other. The group of unified devices isconfigured to serve the physical space.

In this regard, there may be a particular control package for differenttypes of spaces. For example, a hospital patient room may have a uniquepackage of devices (e.g., nurse call systems, room pressure systems,security cameras, etc.) while a kitchen space may include a package ofdevices (e.g., a fire prevention system for ovens and open stove tops, awalk-in cooler, etc.) that serve the kitchen space. Each group ofdevices may be particular to a physical space and may be unified in asingle system. Since each group of devices is unified, a controlinterface may grant a user access to control over all of the buildingsystems and devices in a particular physical space and/or physicalplace.

In the systems and methods described herein, spaces and places havestates and logic. A computation platform stores a state for each spaceand place and executes logic. The state and logic flows seamlesslybetween spaces, places, and devices.

In some embodiments, various physical spaces and places may haveattributes in corresponding profiles. The profiles (i.e., spaceprofiles, place profiles) can be stored on a central server of a placeand/or on the devices of the physical space. Many possible attributesmay be included in a space profile and or place profile, as described indetail here. As one example, attributes may indicate whether the spaceis “not critical,” “permanently critical,” or “dynamically critical.”The attributes, not critical, permanently critical, or dynamicallycritical may indicate that a particular output and/or condition of thephysical space should always be controlled, should never be controlled,or should be controlled based on certain inputs. For example,temperature may be a condition of various physical spaces that can benot critical, permanently critical, or dynamically critical. A CEO'soffice may have a temperature that is permanently critical, that is, anyamount of energy should be used to maintain particular temperaturesetpoints within the CEO's office. In contrast, a laboratory may have atemperature control that is dynamically critical. When an experiment isin progress, the laboratory is critical. When an experiment is not inprogress, the laboratory may be not critical. The temperature controlmay be stricter when the laboratory is ‘critical’; for example,criticality may be directly proportion with control deadband width.Finally, a hallway or an entry way may be not critical.

The various inputs that may change a dynamically critical space frombeing critical to not critical or not critical to critical may bevarious occupancy data, schedules for the physical space, indicationsfor access control systems (e.g., doors opening and/or closing), etc.Occupancy data may be gathered from occupancy sensors within a physicalspace, reservations of the room received from a room reservation system,network traffic at access points, and/or meeting schedules received fromcalendar programs and/or systems. A physical space that is dynamicallycritical may change from being not critical to critical based on variousoutcomes or goals that are associated with the physical space. Forexample, an operating room that is scheduled to be in use or iscurrently in use is a critical space. If the operating room is not beingused or is undergoing routine maintenance, the operating room is not acritical space.

Various physical spaces and places have various outcomes or goals thatdrive the behaviors of the physical devices within the spaces. In someembodiments, a space profile indicates that a particular space has aparticular goal. For example, the devices of a particular physical spacemay operate to achieve the goal for the space. The devices may storerelationships with each other that the devices may utilize to achievethe various goals. Further, a physical space may have multiple goals andthus the devices of the physical space can be configured to prioritize.In some embodiments a goal for a particular space may rely onprioritization of goals, occupant experience within the physical space,and objectives of each device within the physical space. Various goalsand/or objectives of the various devices of a physical space may includesetpoints. However, the goals may also include energy usage, lightinglevels, and/or any other goal.

In some embodiments, devices of a physical space may operate differentlyat different periods of the day. For example, in the morning, theelevator system of a particular physical space may queue all of theelevators on the ground floor. The devices of physical spaces may makepredictions as to when occupants are in the physical space and whereoccupants are within the physical space to efficiently operate thespace. For example, based on user schedules, at a certain time on acertain day, a large number of individuals that have offices on a firstfloor of a building may have meetings on a fourth floor of a building.For this reason, a predefined amount of time before the meeting, theelevator system may move unused elevators to the first floor. Apredefined amount of time after the meeting ends, the elevator systemmay move unused elevators to the fourth floor.

As another example, based on the number of people that have been withina space, a notification system for cleaning personal may be notifiedthat the space needs to be cleaned. For example, if devices in abathroom space indicate that a large number of people were in thebathroom, the notification system may notify cleaning personal that thebathroom needs to be cleaned. In some embodiments, the system mayindicate that the bathroom should be cleaned at a particular time, atime which few people are detected in the bathroom space and/or a timethat there are predicted to be a low number of people in the bathroomspace.

More generally, the devices corresponding to a space or place areoperated based on modes that correspond to operational missions of thespace or place, jobs to be done in the space or place, andsituations/events corresponding to that space or place. These modes mayinfluenced by the type of space (i.e., goals, missions, events,functions of the space), time/periods of day, number of people in aspace, detected events in a space (e.g., intrusion, fire, patient healthemergency), and any other relevant factor.

In some embodiments, a central server of a place may collect informationfrom a plurality of spaces. Based on the type of each physical space,the central server may perform machine learning to improve theperformance of the systems and devices in the spaces and/or to meetgoals for the physical space based on aggregate sets of data for likespaces. The machine learning may be trial and error learning. Forexample, the central server may attempt an improvement to a particularphysical space, cause the devices of the space to affect theimprovement, and monitor the performance of the devices of the space todetermine if the improvement is effective. If the improvement iseffective for one space, the improvement may be tested on other physicalspaces. If the improvement is not effective, the devices of the physicalspace may cease to utilize the improvement.

In one example, a place server may determine that one office space of abuilding uses 20% less energy daily than other office spaces of the sameplace. The place server may determine that the devices of an officespace that is operating energy efficiently are utilizing occupancytrends, over a predefined amount of time, to control the temperature ofthe energy efficient office space. The central server may cause thedevices of the other office systems to similarly utilize the occupancytrends of the energy efficient office space to improve the energy usageof the other office spaces.

When a user decides to design a control package, a group of devices andsystems needed for a particular physical space and the application/logicto monitor and control the physical space, a user may leverage from arepository a space profile for the physical space (or a place profilefor a place) to facilitate the creation of the control package. A spaceprofile may be a profile for a physical space that is stored on acontroller and/or other device. A user may indicate requirements for theparticular physical space (e.g., size of the space, unique needs of thespace, price for the space, how the space will be used, etc.), forexample on a web ordering platform. Corresponding space profile(s) canbe generated that indicate a selection of devices for the physical spacein addition to a purchase price for the set of devices and an operatingcost for the physical space based on the selection of devices. The spaceor place profile may further be used to generate control packages foreach space type, which control how the physical devices of a spaceoperate. For example, a space profile may indicate that a particularphysical space needs to be kept at a constant temperature, regardless ofenergy usage. Using this information and all other information acrossbuilding domains from the space profile defining the space design, aspace control package will be generated to control the space. This maybe the case for merchandise storage spaces and/or data centers.

Spaces which are controlled by a group of devices may share data amongeach other. In this regard, groups of devices in a place (i.e., groupsof devices from multiple spaces) receive place wide data and can beconfigured to operate based on place wide data. In some cases, the placewide data is used to perform root cause analysis, determine improvementsfor various spaces of the building, and/or select device replacements.In one example, the devices of a west lobby and the devices of an eastlobby space may share usage data with each other. In some embodiments,the devices of each physical space determine that they are located in asimilar type of space, a lobby space, and thus should share data toimprove their functionality. In some embodiments, a central server orcontroller aggregates the information from a plurality of spaces,including the east lobby and the west lobby and determines that thespaces are similar and thus each space should utilize the data of theother space to improve the operation of the devices in the space. Eitherthe devices and/or the place server can determine which group of devicesof which physical space are operating more efficiently and/or achievingthe various goals of a particular space. The various differences of thedevices of the two spaces can be compared to determine what particularsettings, schedules, and/or other configuration information should beutilized by the spaces to improve the functionality of each space.

The devices of physical spaces interact with of other devices in thephysical space. More particularly, in some examples, one device from onedomain detects an event and a device from another domain confirms theevent or provides more information about the event. Mode logic asdescribed in detail below describes how these devices may work together.In some cases, devices communicate directly with one another, while inother cases devices communicate with a controller, control engine,server, etc. that facilitates an interaction. As a particular example, asmoke detector may detect smoke indicating a potential fire thattriggers an emergency fire mode to execute based on the space controlpackage. Security cameras in the space may then be used to automaticallyverify if fire exists (e.g., through image recognition in the videofeed(s)) and determine the location of the fire. Depending on the spacetype (i.e., as indicated by the space profile and/or control package),smoke control may be initiated through HVAC devices serving the spaceand/or place.

Many such cross-domain features are possible with the systems andmethods of the present disclosure as described in detail below.

Further, devices within a physical space is associated by a controllerwith the particular type of space that they are located in (e.g., usinga space profile). For example, a camera may be associated with a storagespace. In response to detecting movement, the camera may automaticallybegin to record a video feed since the camera is in a storage space inwhich occupants should not usually be. In contrast, another camera maybe located in a front lobby of a building. The camera may storeinformation that indicates to the camera that the camera is located in abuilding lobby and thus, the camera may only be configured to beginrecording a video feed when the camera detects movements between certainhours of the night (e.g., 11:00 P.M. and 5:00 A.M.).

When defining a space profile for a physical space via a controller orother computing device, a user may first select a space type. Forexample, a user may select a lobby space profile. The user may indicate,via the computing device, one or more parameters for the space profile.The computing device may create an estimate for purchasing the equipmentfor the physical space and also to create an estimate for operating thephysical space. The computing device may also be configured to generateestimates for entire buildings, physical places, enterprises, etc. Basedon the space profile, a space control package is generated.

For example, when generating a place profile for a physical place, auser may indicate, via a computing device, what the various physicalspaces of the physical place are and what configuration each spaceneeds. Based on the aggregate of all of the profiles for the spaces, apurchase estimate for the equipment/devices of the entire physical placecan be determined in addition to an operating cost for the entirephysical space. For example, for a hospital building, a user may createone or more profiles via a computing device that are profiles forpatient rooms, offices, laboratories, cafeterias, and lobbies. The usermay then indicate, via the computing devices that there are a particularnumber of patient rooms, offices, laboratories, and cafeterias in thephysical place. The computing device may generate a device cost and anoperating cost for the physical place based on the space profiles andthe number of each space profile within the physical place. Based on theplace profile, a place control package is generated.

These and other features of the building management system are describedin detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an illustration of space profiles is shown,according to an exemplary embodiment. Occupants of a physical place mayexperience the operation of the devices of the physical place. For thisreason, each space profile 708 may be tailored based on requirements forthe physical space that space profile 708 represents. Space profile 708may include requirements for the design and operation of a physicalspace. Each space profile of a place may be tailored for a particularphysical space such as a patient room in a hospital, an office, akitchen, a lobby, a data center, storage space within a place, etc. Eachspace profile may have unique scheduling and/or usage goals. Each ofthese physical spaces may need to be operated in a unique way and mayneed a unique package of devices (e.g., HVAC, fire, security, lighting,etc.). For this reason, each space profile that represents a physicalspace must include information pertaining to the unique way in which thephysical space needs to operate.

As an example, a patient room has a different space profile and designthan a server room. Various goals, functions, and devices in the spacesare different, as indicated by the block 804 and reflected in the spaceprofiles. In the example shown, a patient room requires environmentalconditioning for thermal comfort and for airborne infection isolation,while a server room requires environmental conditioning for optimalserver operation. Other differences between the patient room and theserver room include camera surveillance in the server room but not thepatient room, levels of access restrictions, and inclusion of particularspecialty systems (e.g., nurse call system for the patient room andbattery backup for the server room). The space profiles associated withthe patient room space profile and the server room space profile mayinclude information pertaining to the equipment which each of thephysical spaces requires.

The space profiles associated with each of the physical spaces mayinclude indications of the equipment that they require. For example, thespace profile of the server may indicate that the space requires and/oruses cameras for surveillance and/or access control devices. Incontrast, the space profile of the patient room may indicate that thepatient room space does not need and/or have surveillance cameras andshould include access devices that allows allow egress.

In block 806, various physical spaces are shown to require variousspecialty systems. For example, a nurses' station may require a nursecall system (e.g., a system that allows patients to call for nurses, fornurses to communicate amongst one another, etc.). A lobby may require avisitor management system and an elevator system. A server room mayrequire a battery backup system, a digital security system, and a powermanagement system.

In block 808, various control packages are shown for a particularphysical space and/or place. For example, based on the specialty systemsof block 806 and/or the various requirements and/or purposes which aphysical space serves, as illustrated in block 804, all of which aredefined in the space profile, a particular control package for aparticular physical space can be required. Thus, the control package isbuilt based on the requirements/functions of a space across multipledomains, rather than for individual building domain systemsindependently.

For example, a physical space may require various HVAC devices, lightingdevices, security devices, access devices etc. In some embodiments, aweb ordering system, server, cloud-based computing resource, etc. can beconfigured to receive a plurality of requirements for the physical spaceand generate a space profile for the physical space. Based on the spaceprofile, a package of devices and systems for the space can be selectedand/or generated. In some embodiments, the system can generate aprediction of a cost for outfitting a place (e.g., a plurality ofphysical spaces) and/or for a particular physical space with buildingdevices (e.g., HVAC, security, access, lighting, etc.) based on eachspace profile require for each physical space and associated controlpackages. Further, the system, based on the space profile, can generatean operating cost prediction of a physical space and/or entire place.

For example, a web-based ordering system may receive an indication of anumber of space profiles for physical spaces of a particular physicalplace (e.g., a building) and a number of requirements for each spaceprofile. The web-based ordering system can be configured to generate aplurality of control packages indications for the physical spaces of theplace based on the space profiles. Based on the plurality of controlpackages indications, the web-based ordering system can generate a costestimate for outfitting the place with the various building devicesidentified in the control package identification.

The control packages are structured to control spaces or places (i.e.,devices in the spaces or places) based on modes for those spaces. Forexample, block 810 various modes for the patient room and the serverroom. The patient room may have different modes for when the patient isawake and for when the patient is sleeping. The patient room may alsohave a situation mode for a code blue (i.e., for a patient medicalemergency). The patient room may also have a job-to-be-done mode forwhen cleaning and maintenance needs to be done in the room. The serverroom has a different set of modes as a space with a substantiallydifferent mission and purpose than the patient room. The server room hasmodes for server high heat and for server down. The server room has asituation mode for when a fire occurs in the server room or in the placethat houses the server room. The server room also has a job-to-be-donemode for when the server room is occupied by someone seeking to completea task related to the servers or the room. Mode-based control for spacesand places is described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 9, blocks 902-906 are shown to further illustratephysical places, according to an exemplary embodiment. Devices,including fire devices, security devices, HVAC devices, lightingdevices, access devices, etc. may coordinate together and operate toserve various physical spaces of a place. Since physical places, such asa building, are made up of various physical spaces, a place profile canbe scaled to include any number of space profiles. For example placeprofiles for buildings, parks, campuses, and/or cities can include anynumber of place profiles and thus any sized physical place can bedigitally represented as a place profile with a plurality of space orplace profiles.

Various physical places may be similar and thus the space profilesrepresenting physical spaces of one physical place may also beapplicable to represent physical spaces of another physical place. Forexample, a physical lobby space for a hospital may be the same and/orsimilar to the physical lobby space of a university. Space profiles maybe similar but may have differences that take into account the locationof the physical space, the local culture, and/or local building codes.

Referring now to FIG. 10, various attributes of physical spaces areshown, according to an exemplary embodiment. At block 1002, eachphysical space is shown to have various attributes. In some embodiments,the space profile for the physical space may include these attributes toaccurately represent the physical space. A controller may use thevarious attributes of a space profile to operate and/or control thephysical space. For example, a space profile may have various occupancytype attributes. For example, an occupancy attribute may be a constantoccupancy, a patterned occupancy, and/or a variable occupancy. Based onthe occupancy attribute, the place system can control and/or conditionthe physical space based on the occupancy type attribute.

Further, the space profile may have a usage type attribute such as aflexible space, a fixed space, and/or a virtual space. Further, thespace profile may have a criticality attribute. The attribute may be notcritical, permanently critical, and/or dynamically critical. Forexample, the temperature of a physical office space may not be criticalwhile the temperature of a physical storage space storing food and/orother merchandise may be permanently critical. In other embodiments, apatient room may have a space profile that is set to dynamicallycritical. For example, when a patient room is unoccupied, no patient isin the room, the patient room may be not critical. However, when apatient is in the room, the patient space may be permanently critical.

In some embodiments, the space profile may have a usage type attribute.In some embodiments, the movement type may be a stationary attribute ora moving attribute. For example, a space profile for an office may havea stationary space attribute while a space profile for an elevator,train cabin, airplane cabin, space aboard a ship, etc. may have a movingspace attribute. Spaces with a moving space attribute have differentrequirements based on where the space is. For example, an airplane cabinhas different requirements when the plane is in the air (e.g.,pressurized, locked doors) than when the plane is on the ground(unpressurized, allow entry/exit). Thus, the moving space attributecorresponds to a dynamic status/location attribute that indicates whenthe space has moved or is moving.

In some embodiments, the space profile has an occupancy type attributeindicating how/when people occupy the space. The occupancy type may beat least one of constant occupancy (indicating that the space is alwaysoccupied), patterned occupancy (indicating that the space is occupied atcertain times of a day), and variable occupancy (indicating that theoccupancy of the physical space changes based on reservations of thephysical space, for example based on a meeting/event calendar system).

In some embodiments, the space profile has a usage type. A usage typeindicates the activity of occupants within the space and the heatgenerated by the occupants. The usage type may be stationary occupants(indicating that occupants are stationary in the space and may give offrelatively little heat) and moving occupants (indicating that occupantsare moving in the space). For example, a gym may have a usage typeindicating high occupant activity in the space, while an office may havea usage type indicating stationary occupants.

At block 1004, a controller controls a physical space based on modes forthe space, as shown for some embodiments. Modes can be defined based onvarious criteria, for example as listed in block 1004. Mode-basedcontrol is described in detail below. The controller can be configuredto operate a particular space based on various events. Based on variousevents, conditions, operational statuses, etc. relevant to a space, acontroller may execute an application that leverages the attributes of aspace profile and determines an appropriate mode.

At block 1006, the relationships between various devices associated witha physical space are illustrated. A controller may determinerelationships between various devices in a physical space and meaningsfor those relationships, or may be given the relationships based on acommon data model for the devices and UBMS 600. For example, lightingdevices and blinds of a physical space may have a relationship such thatif the blinds are open and light is detected by a light sensor, thelights of the physical space may be turned off and/or dimmed by thelighting devices. Further, based on what smoke detectors go off in aphysical space, a controller may notify occupants to exit the physicalspace via a particular egress point of the space to avoid a detectedfire. Further, the controller can be configured to adjust variousenvironmental conditions based on the identity of a particularindividual in a physical space. For example, an individual may haveparticular environmental preferences tied to a user profile and thuswhen that particular individual enters a space, the controller may causethe space to be conditioned to the environmental preferences of theindividual.

Referring now to FIG. 11, an illustration of systems utilizing systemperformance data in multiple physical spaces to improve systemperformance, according to an exemplary embodiment. At block 1102, thedevices of various physical spaces (including controllers for thosespaces) are shown to communicate. The devices of physical space 1106 areshown to communicate with the devices of physical spaces 1108 and 1110.Similarly, the devices of physical space 1110 are shown to communicatewith the devices of physical space 1106 and 1108 and the devices ofphysical space 1108 are shown to communicate with the devices ofphysical spaces 1110 and 1106, according to some embodiments. Thedevices of each of physical spaces 1106-1110 may be a particular groupof devices such as device group 602 of FIG. 6. The devices of eachphysical space can use machine learning and the data received from otherdevices of other physical spaces to improve their performance. In someembodiments, the devices of the physical spaces that communicate arelocated in different buildings, cities, and/or countries.

As an example, multiple offices along the west side of a building canoptimize their heating and lighting use to account for the sun in theafternoon providing ‘free’ light and heating. However, in some casesonly one of the offices has an ambient sensor installed that can measurethe sun's influence. In such a case, the first office can optimize andthen share the needed information with other offices (i.e., otherspaces) so that the other office can optimize as well even though theother offices lack the relevant sensor.

At block 1104, an illustration for comparing operating data of thedevices of physical spaces against each other to minimize operationcosts and to determine improvements is shown, according to someembodiments. A central controller of a place, a central server, and/orone of the devices of physical spaces 1106-1110 can be configured to usedata gathered by various devices of spaces 1106-1110 and the types ofthe physical spaces of physical spaces 1106-1110 to determine operationconfigurations to achieve low operating costs.

For example, as shown in block 1104, a device can receive energy usagefor a plurality of devices that indicate the energy usage of a pluralityof physical spaces. The device can compare the energy usage of likespaces. For example, energy usage of an operating room can be comparedagainst the energy usage of another operating room, the data formultiple data centers can be used together, etc. Further, the data frommultiple building lobbies can be aggregated and used to determineimprovements for the building lobbies. The device can determine whichparticular physical spaces are performing at a high level and identifydifferences between low performing physical spaces and high performingphysical spaces. For example, a first data center may have a particulartype of battery backup system while a second data center may have asecond type of battery backup system. The device can determine that thesecond data center may be consuming less energy. In this way, the devicemay generate a message instructing an owner of the first data center toconsider upgrading the battery backup system. In another example, thefirst battery backup system may operate with a first configuration whilethe second battery backup system may operate with a secondconfiguration. The device may determine that the first battery backupsystem is using less energy than the second battery backup system andthe second battery backup system may attempt utilizing the firstconfiguration instead of the second configuration.

Comparisons can be made across spaces to determine if one space isexhibiting outlier behavior that could be an indication of a problemwith the space. This peer-space analysis may be done for all devicesacross domains in a space, as opposed to just at the device level asdone conventionally. For example, comparisons can be made by a device tocompare fault detection and diagnostics for one physical space againstanother physical space. A device may determine that the devices of onephysical space are sensing a higher number of faults than the devices ofa second physical space. For this reason, the device may notify an ownerof the first physical space that their equipment may need servicingsince there are an unusually high number of faults being detected forthe devices of the first physical space as compared to the devices ofthe second physical space. Another comparison can be made regardingspace utilization of physical spaces. For example, based on equipmentefficiency and utilization of a first physical space, a device candetermine that a second physical space needs improvements based on thespace being over utilized (e.g., having occupancy greater than apredefined amount). The device may notify an owner of the secondphysical space that they may need to upgrade and/or purchase newequipment.

In some embodiments, a device associated with a particular space canmake a comparison against how the space is operating to how the spaceshould be operating. The device may determine various modes that can beused to save money in the space based on this comparison. Further, if aspace is not operating how it usually operates, a device of the spacemay generate an alarm. Further, a device associated with the space maydetermine whether the space is being under-utilized or over-utilized.

In a single physical place, a server and/or other device of the physicalspace may compare all similar physical spaces of the physical place todetermine performance of all the spaces. Further, the device can comparedata gathered from all similar equipment (e.g., from all air handlers,all cameras, all thermostats, etc.) of the physical place against eachother to determine what equipment is not functioning properly and/orneeds to be replaced. A device associated with the physical place can beconfigured to make recommendations to improve the efficiency of thephysical space.

Referring now to FIG. 12, a mobile device 1200 is shown that may includea navigation application for a place. The mobile application maycommunicate with a central server such as server 612 of FIG. 6. Thus,the mobile application may receive information relating to some and/orall of the systems of a particular place. The application may leveragethis information when directing an occupant through a place.

In general, the navigation application is an example of how spacecontrol and space profiles can be applied to easily make place-basedapplications. Each space knows about all domains and can communicatewith others, thus allow decisions to be collective made based on thespace data.

More specifically, the navigation application may help a user navigatethrough a place. For example, the application may determine the fastestroute through a place from one point in the place to another point inthe place. The application may take into account elevator usage (e.g.,elevator queues), the locations of elevators, and other factors (spacesunder construction, access-restricted spaces not available to the user,etc.) when determining the fastest route from one point in the place toanother. In this regard, the application may be connected to the variousdevices of the place, space controllers and/or a master controller ofthe place (e.g., server 601 of FIG. 6). Further, the application maytake into account areas of the place that a user may or not have accessto. For example, a laboratory may be only accessible to certainindividuals. A route through the laboratory may be the fastest route.However, the application may only recommend the route through thelaboratory if the user has access to the laboratory, for example, if theuser has key card access to the laboratory.

Further, the application may consider areas of the place that arecurrently being renovated. Information regarding renovations may bereceived by the mobile application from a place server, and the placeserver may receive such information from space controllers for areasunder construction. In this regard, the application may instruct theuser to take a different route through the place to avoid the area ofthe place that is under renovation. Further, based on occupancyinformation (e.g., Wi-Fi occupancy, occupancy sensors, camera basedoccupancy detection) the application may determine congestion of variousareas of the place and/or may suggest alternate routes through a placebased on the congestion of various areas of the place. Further, theapplication may display the congestion of various areas of the place onthe application. In some embodiments, the application may take intoaccount the number of people waiting for an elevator, the number ofpeople in a lobby waiting to enter the place, etc.

In some embodiments, the application may take into account the identityof a user of the application (e.g., employee that works in a place, astudent in a school, a traveler, a service technician or contractor)when generating directions for the user. For example, for an employee ofa place, the application may have access to a meeting schedule and/or anoutlook calendar of the employee. In this regard, the application maydirect the employee from one meeting room to another meeting room orfrom a desk and/or office to a particular meeting room. For students,the application may direct a student from one classroom to anotherclassroom based on a class schedule. For a traveler, the application mayact as a travel itinerary and may direct a traveler to a particularflight gate inside an airport terminal. For a service technician theapplication may direct the service technician to a particular locationin a place that requires service. For example is a worker in an officeis having a computer malfunction, the application may notify thetechnician of the individual who needs and/or is requesting help withtheir computer and the application may direct the technician to the deskof the individual requiring computer help. In this regard, theapplication may receive service requests from users and/or from a placeserver.

The application may notify a user of the nearest accessible exit in thecase of an emergency (e.g., fire) and/or may provide evacuationinstructions and/or directions to evacuate the place. Each space knows(e.g., a controller serving that space determines) if that space isbeing impacted by the fire (smoke, fire, etc.), so that occupants aredirected away from impacted spaces as they evacuate the place asdirected along the least-busy or most efficient route. Further, theapplication may be configured to direct a user to the nearest weathershelter when the application receives information pertaining to aweather emergency. The application may store this information locally onthe mobile device that the application runs on and/or may receive theinformation from a place server.

Referring now to FIG. 13, design of equipment for a physical space,installation of the equipment, and operation of the equipment in thephysical space with the space-centric approach is illustrated, accordingto an exemplary embodiment. A physical space may have a correspondingspace profile that is used when designing the physical space (forexample, as shown in FIG. 8). The space profile may be a profile thatacts as a representation of the physical space which a user is trying todesign. Particular attributes and/or other information of the spaceprofile may define the intended use of the physical space. The spaceprofile of the space may include all devices (e.g., fire, HVAC,security, access, lighting, etc.) that will need to be used in thephysical space (as shown in block 806 of FIG. 8). In some embodiments,the physical space requires specialty systems (e.g., a walk in cooler, abattery backup system).

A space profile may indicate that the physical space that it representshas various objectives based on how the space is used (e.g., as shown inblock 804 of FIG. 8). For example, the objectives may dictate that apatient room requires environmental conditioning for thermal comfort andfor airborne infection isolation, while a server room requiresenvironmental conditioning for optimal server operation. Otherdifferences between a patient room and a server room include camerasurveillance in the server room but not the patient room, levels ofaccess restrictions, and inclusion of particular specialty systems(e.g., nurse call system for the patient room and battery backup for theserver room). The space profiles associated with the patient room spaceprofile and the server room space profile may include informationpertaining to the equipment which each of the physical spaces requires.

A control and device package for a particular physical space isinstalled and configured that controls devices across all domains forthe entire space, based on the space profile. The package may includeHVAC devices, fire devices, access devices, etc. as well as controllers,applications, etc. The devices may be installed in the particular spaceand interconnected.

In some embodiments, the space may be based on a predefined profile. Forexample, there may be a patient room profile, a lobby profile, etc. Theprofile for the space may be adjusted based on various unique attributesand/or features of the particular space. In some embodiments, a user maygenerate a particular space profile and reuse the profile for variousspaces of a place. For example, every patient room of a hospital may bebased off a single user defined patient room profile. In someembodiments, the configuration of the space may rely on buildinginformation modeling (BIM) of a particular space.

A single user interface (e.g., the interface described in FIG. 37 below)may allow a user to operate all systems of the physical space (e.g.,HVAC, security, access, fire, lighting, etc.). The physical space may beoperated in particular modes, these modes may have settings for all ofthe domains of the space. The settings and/or the modes can be selectedvia the single user interface. Further, the spaces can be dynamicallycritical and can operate based on the criticality level of the space andthe criticality attribute of the corresponding space profile.

A physical space may be optimized based on operating data and the spaceprofile for the physical space. The space profile may indicate aparticular efficiency of the physical space and thus the operation ofthe systems of the physical space can adjust based on data of thevarious systems. The systems of the space may utilize machine learningor other learning techniques to determine how the physical space iscurrently operating and adjust the operation of the systems to meet aparticular operating goal. A space controller of the physical space mayuse various utilization processes that can improve the performance ofthe devices of the physical space. The space profile for the physicalspace can be adjusted when the physical space is remodeled or renovated,that is, when the space type and purpose changes. Whether or notequipment needs to be installed or removed is determined by thedifferences between the space types: in some situations, no changes tothe physical devices in the space are needed in order to change thespace from one type of space into another type of space. This isdiscussed in further detail below with reference to FIG. 18.

Further, via a user interface, a user can view the health of systems ofthe space. The user interface may display recommendations to upgradeand/or retrofit a space.

Referring now to FIG. 14, system design and operation of a physicalplace in the space- and place-centric approach is described, accordingto an exemplary embodiment. The place system may be designed for anentire physical space and thus may be implemented quickly. Physicalspaces in the place may share and/or otherwise have commoninfrastructures. Installing the system may be low cost to an end userand may use less sensors. The place system may have built in redundancywith immediate failover support for various systems of the place system.

The place system may rely on a single user interface for all of thedevices of the place system. The interface may allow a user to integratemultiple systems together, such as specialty systems (non-buildingdomain related) or legacy systems (i.e., systems already installed in aplace). For example, the interface may include an integrate button thatallows one or more systems of the place to be integrated into the UBMS600. Further the unified building system with space control cansend/retrieve information from specialty systems. For example, the spacecontroller of a patient room may need to retrieve data from a patientroom scheduling system to be able to trigger a change in mode and/or,for example, to inform a Facilities Professional that the room is notbeing used so routine maintenance can occur.

The place system may save energy in the place and/or may leveragevarious building systems to achieve outcomes for a particular industryor space type. Further, the place system may include fewer systems,resulting in lower maintenance costs. Further, the systems may self-testtheir integrations. All of the systems may have a common upgrade process(e.g., hardware and/or software). Further, the systems may be modularand allow for integration and/or connection of systems and/orreconfiguration of spaces.

Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 15, a detailed block diagram of the unifiedcontrol engine 1902 is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Theunified control engine 1902 includes a variety of circuits, engines,databases, etc. that facilitate unified control of the environmentalcontrol assets 1904 to fulfil the missions of the spaces or places. Itshould be understood that the unified control engine 1902 and thecomponents thereof are highly configurable for various implementations.In the embodiment shown, the unified control engine 1902 is a discretecomputing platform that includes the various circuits, etc., while inother embodiments various components and features of the unified controlengine 1902 may be distributed across various servers, engines, devices,controllers, cloud-based computing resources, etc. included with abuilding management system. In some embodiments, the unified controlengine 1902 includes non-transitory machine readable media executable bya processor to perform the functions and features described herein. Theunified control engine 1902 is scalable, i.e., the unified controlengine 1902 may be applied to a place (to control the place and itschild places or spaces), to a single space, or to any other combinationor number of spaces and places.

The unified control engine 1902 includes a profiles circuit 2002, a modelogic engine 2004, an assets relationships database 2006, apersonalization circuit 2008, a criticality circuit 2010, anenvironmental control assets controller 2012, a data aggregation circuit2014, and a graphical user interface generator 2016. The environmentalcontrol asset controller 2012 includes the various controllers,communication interfaces, etc. needed to facilitate control ofindividual environmental control assets 1904.

The profiles circuit 2002 stores a profile for each space or placeserved by the unified control engine 1902, as described in detail belowwith reference to FIG. 16-19. The mode logic engine 2004 is structuredto facilitate mode-based, space- and place-centric control as describedbelow with reference to FIGS. 20-23. The assets relationships database2006 facilitates the propagation of modes between parent and childspaces or places and the environmental control assets 1904 that servethose spaces or places, as described below with reference to FIGS.20-23. The personalization circuit 2008 is structured to provide foroccupant-specific, personalized environmental control of a space orplace occupied by identified people, as described in detail below withreference to FIG. 24. The criticality circuit 2010 is structured todynamically determine the criticality of a space or place and use thatcriticality to inform prioritization of mode selection by the mode logicengine 2004, as described in detail with reference to FIGS. 25-26. Thedata aggregation circuit 2014 is configured to receive, organize, andcombine data relating to various metrics from various spaces or placesand various types of sensors and other environmental control assets, asdescribed in detail with reference to FIG. 28. The graphical userinterface generator 2016 is configured to generate graphical userinterfaces that facilitate user interaction with the unified controlengine 1902, for example as shown in FIG. 37 below and described withreference thereto.

Space and Place Profiles for the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIGS. 16-18, systems and methods for space and placeprofiles for use with the unified control engine 1902 are shown,according to exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 16 shows the profiles repository 1914 with a plurality of placeprofiles, according to an exemplary embodiment. The profiles repository1914 includes a place profile for each of a variety of place types.Place types include the types of places typically served by the unifiedcontrol engine 1902, for example a rural hospital, a major hospital, anoffice building, a school, a factory, warehouse, etc. The example ofFIG. 16 shows a place profile 2102 for a rural hospital.

Each place profile includes several space profiles corresponding to thetypes of spaces typically found in the corresponding type of place. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 16, the rural hospital place profile 2102includes a patient room space profile 2104, a reception space profile2106, an operating room space profile 2108, and a pharmacy space profile2110. The contents of a space profile are discussed in detail withreference to FIG. 17.

Place profiles are built by designers or engineers and stored in theprofiles repository 1914. When a particular implementation of a unifiedcontrol engine 1902 is being implemented, a place profile can be chosenfrom the profiles repository 1914 and installed on the unified controlengine 1902, for example as shown in FIG. 15. The unified control engine1902 is thereby quickly configured to serve the type of placecontemplated by the place profile. For example, to install a unifiedcontrol engine 1902 for a rural hospital, the rural hospital placeprofile 2102 can be transmitted from the profiles repository 1914 to theunified control engine 1902 for storage in the profiles circuit 2002.The unified control engine 1902 thereby receives the data, applications,control logic, mode logic, data model, etc. needed to serve a ruralhospital. Customization for the particular place is also allowed andfacilitated.

Referring now to FIG. 17, the profiles repository 1914 is shown with adetailed view of a space profile, according to an exemplary embodiment.More particularly, the patient room space profile 2104 is shown toinclude a variety of categories of profile information, including spacecharacteristics 2202, space modes 2204, space controller specification2206, equipment specification 2208, networking specification 2210, andapplications 2212. When loaded onto a unified control engine 1902, aninstance of the space profile 2104 is stored in the profiles circuit2002 where the information contain therein can be accessed and modifiedas need by other engines, circuits, etc. of the unified control engine1902.

Space attributes 2202 include a variety of attributes typicallyassociated with a space of the type represented by the space profile(i.e., a patient room). Attributes may include space criticality (e.g.,default, effective, assigned criticalities as described with referenceto FIG. 25), location (i.e., relative to other types of spaces in aplace), size, etc. Attributes may also include measurable traits of aspace (e.g., temperature, humidity, occupancy, fire presence, carbondioxide levels, ambient light level, noise level, usage levels). Spaceattributes 2202 include target values (e.g., designed values, idealvalues, maximum values, minimum values) for attributes, for exampleutilization attributes. In the space profile, space attributes 2202 mayspecify the types of attributes useful for the space of that type andlogic/equations/programs for recognizing sensors relevant to attributesand calculating the attributes based on sensor data, and associationsbetween attributes.

Space modes 2204 include the modes for the space, including the criteriafor triggering the mode, environmental conditions that define the mode,the settings for environmental control assets 1904 needed to establishthose conditions, and/or other information relating to each mode. Onceimplemented in a unified control engine 1902, the space modes 2204 areaccessed by a the mode logic engine 2004 to execute mode-based controlas discussed in detail below.

Space controller specification 2206 includes any logic, computer code,communication interfaces, etc. necessary to define the space controllersused with the unified control engine 1902. The equipment specification2208 specifies the typical package of environmental control assets 1904typically included with a space or required for the space to provide thefunctionality described herein. The equipment specification 2208 alsoincludes data objects for each included type of environmental controlasset 1904 specifying characteristics of the type to facilitate thecontrol of environmental control assets 1904 of that type. Thenetworking specification 2210 includes any networking information (e.g.,addresses, protocols, encryption keys) necessary to access environmentalcontrol assets 1904 over a network (e.g., a BACnet building network,Wi-Fi) from the unified control engine 1902. Applications 2212 includelogic, computer code, etc., executable to run applications relating tothe space. Applications 2212 may include data analytics applications,user interface applications, and/or other specialized applications forthe space- or place. The space controller specification 2206, theequipment specification 2208, the networking specification 2210, and/orthe applications 2212 make up the “control package” for the spacereferred to herein.

An instance of the space profile 2104 can therefore be installed on theunified control engine 1902, and more particularly in the profilescircuit 2002 to provide the unified control engine 1902 with theinformation necessary to provide the functionality described herein.

An example space profile may have the following content:

Category Item Description Space Profile Name Patient RoomCharacteristics Description Profile for a Patient Room in a HospitalSpace Patient Room Criticality Medium Space Size 220 ft² by 9 ft PeakHeating/Cooling Load 4,500 Btuh Max Acceptable Noise Level 50 dB Min AirChanges per Hour 6 Light Intensity 100 Lx Occupancy 10 Space ModesSupported Modes Clean and Maintain Unstaffed Staffed and Vacant Staffedand Reserved Jobs to be Done Make me Comfortable (Patient) Request aCare Visit (Patient) Make Patient Comfortable (Nurse) Visit a Patientfor Care (Care Giver) Situations Code Blue Shelter in Place (Weather)Shelter in Place (Violence) Shelter in Place (Hazard) Fire SystemsEquipment and Apps Variable Air Volume Controller Smart LightingMotorized shades Networking Wired Protocols Ethernet Specification PoE

Referring now to FIG. 18, a visualization of space profile assignment isshown, according to an exemplary embodiment. More specifically, a beforevisualization 2300 and after visualization 2302 to illustrate theutility of space profiles in easily updating the unified control engine1902 are shown. In the example of FIG. 18, an office 2304 undergoes aremodel from an open floor plan concept (shown in before visualization2300) to a separate-office concept with a hallway connecting theoffices.

The unified control engine 1902 was originally installed for the openfloor plan, and an open office floor plan 2306 was installed on theunified control engine 1902 to facilitate control of environmentalconditions in the office 2304. When the open floor plan was replaced byseparate offices and a hallway (i.e., as shown in the aftervisualization 2302), a hallway profile 2308 was installed for thehallway and a separate office profile 2310 was installed for each of theseparate offices.

In this way, the type of space(s) being controlled by the unifiedcontrol engine 1902 can be changed at any time. In some cases, theexisting environmental control assets 1904 at the space or place aresufficient to cover both the original space(s) and the new, updatedspace(s) and space type(s). In such a case, changing the space profilein the unified control engine 1902 is sufficient to fully updatecontrol. In other cases, alterations to the spaces or places (e.g.,installation of walls) may require additional environmental controlassets 1904 to be added to allow for full control of the new spaces. Insuch cases, place-wide environmental control assets 1904 (e.g., chiller,air handler) may remain the same while space-specific environmentalcontrol assets (e.g., fans, access devices) may need to be added.

Overall, space- and place-profiles greatly simplify the programmingneeded to establish control of environmental control assets 1904 for oneor more spaces or places with the unified control engine 1902.

Space and Place Profiles in the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 19, a diagram of a space profile 1500 and placeprofile 1550 installed in the profiles circuit 2002 of the unifiedcontrol engine 1902 is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Ingeneral, the elements of the space profile 1500 and the place profile1550 correspond to the elements of the space profile 2104 and the placeprofile 2102.

The place profile 1550 includes space profiles 1500, place attributes1552, and place modes 1554. Each space profile 1500 includes spaceattributes 1502, space modes 1504, space controller specification 1506,equipment specification 1508, networking specification, and applications1512.

Space attributes 1502 includes one or more attributes (i.e.,characteristics, traits, statuses, conditions, states, etc.) of thespace. Similarly, place attributes 1552 includes one or more attributesof the place. As shown in FIG. 19, an attribute may have a numericalvalue (e.g., a count of occupants in a place, a temperature of a space),a true/false dichotomous value (e.g., no fire is burning in space v. afire is burning in the space), a value on a scale of limited discretelevels (e.g., minimum, medium, maximum), an option from a list ofpossible options (e.g., critical, not critical, dynamically critical),or other type of value (e.g., color, status). Attributes are used, asdescribed below as inputs to space-based and place-based control, forexample using modes.

According to various embodiments, the space profiles include staticand/or dynamic attributes. The static attributes may be predeterminedattributes of the space (e.g., size, type, target values, etc.) whereasthe dynamic attributes can be updated dynamically based on data receivedfrom the sensors or other data sources (e.g., measured occupancy). Insome cases, values of the dynamic attributes are calculated using valuesof the static attributes. For example, data from the sensors or otherdata sources may be normalized relative to target values stored asstatic attributes of the space profile. The normalized values can thenbe stored as dynamic attributes in the space profile.

In some embodiments, different space profiles may have different sets ofattributes. In such embodiments, each space profile has at least oneattribute that is different from the attributes of the other spaceprofiles. This may be true even when two or more of the space profilesare associated with the same type of space (e.g., two spaces having thesame function), such that the space profiles differ from each other byhaving different attributes. For example, the space profiles may havedifferent size attributes, different target values, etc.

Space modes 1504 and place modes 1554 include the modes available forthe space or place. Each mode may include certain information about themode or information needed to implement the mode. For example, mode A1514 in FIG. 19 shows that a mode may be stored with a triggeringcondition that defines when the space should enter that mode, settingsfor environmental control assets for that mode, and a priority for thatmode that ranks the importance of entering that mode relative to otherconcurrent modes, as described in detail below. The space profile 1500and the place profile 1550 thereby include the necessary information forfacilitating mode-based control of spaces and places.

The space profile 1500 also includes space controller specification1506, equipment specification 1508, networking specification 1510, andapplications 1512, which combine to facilitate the functions andfeatures described herein for the particular space represented by thespace profile 1500. The space profiles 1500 and the place profile 1550are thereby configured for use by the unified control engine 1902 incontrolling environmental control assets using a space- andplace-centric approach.

Mode-Based Control in the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 20, a detailed view of the mode logic engine 2004is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The mode logic engine2004 is structured to provide mode-based control for the spaces orplaces served by the unified control engine 1902. The mode logic engine2004 is communicable with the profiles circuit 2002 to access space orplace profiles including the mode information contained therein for eachmode, as described in detail with reference to FIG. 21. The mode logicengine 2004 is also communicable with the assets relationships database2006 to access information about the parent-child relationships betweenspaces or places (i.e., as described above with reference to FIG. 2) tofacilitate the propagation of modes through spaces or places asdescribed below in detail with reference to FIG. 22.

The mode logic engine 2004 includes a mode determination circuit 2404and a mode logic circuit 2406. In general, the mode determinationcircuit 2404 is structured to determine the correct mode for each spaceor place while the mode logic circuit 2406 is structured to facilitatethe execution and changing of modes, for example by propagating a modechange to related spaces or places as described in detail below withreference to FIG. 22.

The mode determination circuit 2404 determines a change in mode inresponse to a detected new event. Accordingly, the mode determinationcircuit 2404 receives sensor data from the environmental control assets1904, user inputs from the graphical user interface generator 2016, orother data relating to the spaces or places, and determines what modeshould be engaged based on that data or input. The mode determinationcircuit 2404 associates the new event with a corresponding mode based onthe mode information available in the profiles circuit 2002. Forexample, if fire is detected in a place by a sensor, the modedetermination circuit 2404 receives an indication that fire was detectedand uses that indication to determine that the place should be put in aFire Emergency mode. Many such associations between events orcombinations of events and modes are possible. Modes may be cumulative(e.g., a Fire and Occupied mode may be different than a Fire andUnoccupied mode).

In some cases, the mode determination circuit 2404 determines which modefrom multiple possible modes is prioritized and thus implemented overother triggered modes. Different modes have different priority levels,and different spaces may have different mode priority levels. Thus, twospaces under the same combination of modes may have different effectivesettings based on different priority levels. The mode determinationcircuit 2404 overrides modes with a lower priority with the settings ofa mode with higher priority. Typically, situation modes have higherpriorities than jobs to be done modes or operational mission modes. Thefollowing table shows an example:

Effective Space Space Modes Type Priority Settings Settings PatientImprove Operational 0 Light Light Room Patient Mission Intensity =Intensity = Experience 100 Lx 500 Lx Make Me Job To Be 1 LightComfortable Done Intensity = 80 Lx Patient Is Job To Be 2 Light SleepingDone Intensity = 10 Lx Fire Alarm Situation 3 Light Intensity = is 500Lx

The mode logic circuit 2406 is configured to determine whether the newmode is one that should be propagated to related spaces or places,access the assets relationships database 2006 to retrieve a list of therelated spaces or places, and update the mode for the related spaces orplaces. The mode logic circuit 2406 may also initiate updated commandsto the environmental control assets 1904 to cause the environmentalcontrol assets 1904 to enter the new mode. That is, the mode logiccircuit 2406 determines what operations happen during a mode change. Forexample, the mode logic circuit 2406 may determine that airflowdirection in a ventilation device must change to execute the modechange.

Referring now to FIG. 21, a visualization of a process of implementing anew mode for a space or place in the unified control engine 1902 isshown, according to an exemplary embodiment. A new mode 2500 (in theexample of FIG. 21, “Staffed and Reserved” for a patient room) iscreated on a developer device 2502. The new mode 2500 includes criteriafor triggering the mode, settings for environmental control assets 1904to implement to achieve the mode, environmental conditions for a spaceor place that characterize the mode, and/or other information or logicto facilitate use of the new mode 2500. The developer device is acomputing device (e.g., laptop, desktop computer) used by an engineer ordeveloper to create new modes. The new mode 2500 is transmitted from thedeveloper device 2502 to the profiles repository 1914 and saved in theprofiles repository 1914. More particularly, the new mode 2500 is savedin space modes 2204 of one or more space profiles 2104. In the exampleherein, the new mode 2500 is saved in a space profile 2104 for a patientroom as shown in FIG. 17.

The new mode can then be installed on the unified control engine 1902from the profiles repository 1914. For example, the profiles repository1914 may be communicably couple to the unified control engine 1902, forexample via the internet. The unified control engine 1902 may runperiodic updates to update the space or place profiles stored in theprofiles circuit 2002. In some cases, the new mode is transferred fromthe profiles repository 1914 to an installation device configured toinstall updated profiles on the unified control engine 1902. In theexample shown, the new mode 2500 is installed with the space modes 1504of the space profile 1500. In other cases, the new mode is a place modeand is installed in places modes 1554 of a place profile 1550.

Once the new mode 2500 is installed in the profiles circuit 2002 (i.e.,in a space profile 1500 or place profile 1550), the information in thenew mode 2500 is used to update and/or inform a variety of othercircuits, controllers, etc. in the unified control engine 1902. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 21, modes 1504 in a space or place profile inthe profiles circuit 2002 are used to inform the graphical userinterface generator 2016, the environment control asset controller 2012,and the mode logic engine 2004. The information, logic, computer code,etc. needed to implement the new mode 2500 is thereby distributed to thenecessary components of the unified control engine 1902.

Referring now to FIG. 22, a flowchart of a process 2600 for mode changeand mode propagation is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment.Process 2600 starts at step 2602, where the space is in a stable mode.That is, a mode is established for the space and the environmentalcontrol assets 1904 have settled into operation to achieve theconditions associated with the mode.

At step 2604, the mode logic engine 2004 monitors the space (e.g., datafrom the environmental control assets 1904, user inputs relating to thespace) and determines whether a new event has been detected. The modelogic engine 2004 may use a list of relevant events that would trigger amode change, and use that list to check against data to determine if anew event occurred. If a new event is not detected, the space remainsstably in a mode as in step 2602.

If a new event is detected, the mode determination circuit 2404determines the new mode for the space at step 2608. Determining the newmode may include comparing the detected new event to criteria fortriggering each mode stored in the space profile 1500 (i.e., in spacemodes 1504). In some cases, determining the new mode for the spaceincludes determining which of several modes has priority, as describedabove.

At step 2610, the mode logic circuit 2406 calculates new effectivesettings for the environmental control assets 1904 in the space. In somecases, the new effective settings are determined from a look-up table ofeffective settings for the mode stored in the space profile 1500 (i.e.,in space modes 1504). In some cases, calculating new effective settingsincludes determining a compromise setting between two concurrent modes.

At step 2612, the mode logic engine 2004 initiates the transition to thenew mode. As illustrated in FIG. 22, transition to the new mode mayrequire several tasks. At step 2614, the new mode is propagated to allchild spaces. That is, the mode logic circuit 2406 looks up the childrenof the space in the assets relationships database 2006 and then appliesthe new mode to the child spaces (i.e., applies process 2600 to thechild spaces). In some cases, child spaces are thereby assigned the samemode as their parent space or place. In some cases, child spaces combinethe mode information from their parent with local information (e.g.,from sensors, override settings) to make an independent modedetermination for the child space.

At step 2616, the new effective settings calculated at step 2610 aretransmitted to the environmental control assets 1904 to control theenvironmental control assets 1904 to enter the new mode. For example,the mode logic engine 2004 may provide the new effective settings to theenvironment control asset controller 2012, and the environment controlasset controller 2012 may generate control signals for the environmentcontrol assets 1904 to control the environment control assets 1904. Insome embodiments, the environment control assets 1904 are mode-aware,such that the environmental control assets 1904 can be controlled toenter a new mode by simply transmitting the name of the new mode to theenvironmental control assets 1904.

At step 2618, the mode logic engine 2004 determines whether the parentof the space needs to be notified of the new event. Some events or modesrequire changes or action on the place level, and thus requirenotification of the parent of the space when the new event occurs or thenew mode is initiated. For example, a fire in a space causes a Fire modeto be entered for that space, and the Fire mode should be shared withthe parent place so that the whole place can enter a fire safety mode.If the mode logic engine 2004 determines that the parent should benotified of the new event, the parent is notified of the new event atstep 2620. The place can then be put through the steps of process 2600to effect a change in the place mode. If the mode logic engine 2004determines that the parent need not be notified of the new event, theprocess 2600 ends at step 2622.

Referring now to FIG. 23, a diagram illustrating a process 2700 of modechanging across assets is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment.To start, at step 2702, a sensor detects an event. For example, a sensormay detect a person entering a space, a fire in a space, a change in ajob-to-be-done in a space, etc. At step 2704, the space (i.e., a spacecontroller/unified control engine 1902) determines that the event sensedby the sensor requires a change in mode for a first space. At step 2706,the change in mode of the space is transmitted to the mode set for thefirst space. The mode set includes the other assets (spaces or placesand environmental control assets) that may be affected by the change inmode of the first space. That is, depending on attributes of the newmode and on the relationship between assets, some assets in the modesset will directly enter the new mode, while others will determine adifferent new mode using information about/from the first space or willchoose to ignore the first space's change in mode. At step 2708, thisprocess cascades through the assets in the mode set, i.e., so that asmode sets of the assets in the mode set of the first space are given achance to react to the event sensed by the sensor and the resulting modechange(s). In this way, all spaces, places, and environmental controlassets that may need to change mode based the event sensed by the sensorare given the necessary opportunity to react.

Personalized Settings with the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 24, a detailed view of the personalization circuit2008 of the unified control engine 1902 is shown, according to anexemplary embodiment. The personalization circuit 2008 is structured toprovide personalized effective settings for particular occupants of aspace or place.

The personalization circuit 2008 includes an occupant preferencescircuit 2802 and a settings resolver 2804. The occupant preferencecircuit 2802 stores occupant preferences for one or more users of aspace or place (i.e., possible occupants of a space or place). Theoccupant preferences include the name of the space or place, an occupantidentifier, an occupant relative importance, and a list of preferences.An example set of occupant preferences may include:

Occupant Relative Space Occupant ID Importance (0-1) Preference OfficeAlice .9 Temperature: 72, Color Temperature: 4200 K, Light Intensity:480 lx

The occupant preference circuit 2802 is communicable with an occupant IDsensor 2800. The occupant preference circuit 2802 receives an occupantidentifier from the sensor 2800, indicating that the person associatedwith that identifier is present in a particular space or place. Theoccupant preference circuit 2802 looks up the preferences for theidentified occupant and provides the occupant's preferences to thesettings resolver 2804. The identifier may be a unique anonymizedidentifier that associates the identifier with a set of settings withoutcreating privacy concerns for the person associated with thatidentifier.

The settings resolver 2804 is configured to determine effective settingsfor the environmental control assets. If only one occupant is detectedfor a space or place, the preferences for that occupant are used todetermine the effective settings. If multiple occupants are detected fora space or place, the occupant's relative importance is used tocalculate compromise settings. That is, the occupant relative importanceis used as a weight in calculating weighted average preferences for eachsetting. The relative weight may be determined by job position, forexample the CEO of a company may have a higher relative importance thanan intern. The settings resolver 2804 then uses the weighted averagepreferences as the effective settings for the environmental controlassets. An example is shown in the following table:

Occupant Relative Space Occupant ID Preference Importance ResultingSettings Conference Alice Temperature: 72, .9 Temperature: 73 Room ColorTemperature: Color Temperature: 4200 K, 4450 K Light Intensity: 480 lxLight Intensity: Bob Temperature: 75, .5 469 lx Color Temperature: 4900K, Light Intensity: 450 lx

The personalization circuit 2008 thereby generates effective settingsbased on an optimal combination of the occupants' preferences. Theeffective settings are transmitted to the environmental control assets1904 to achieve the preferred settings at the space or place.

Space & Place Criticality in the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 25, a detailed view of the criticality circuit2010 of the unified control engine 1902 is shown, according to anexemplary embodiment. The criticality circuit 2010 is structured todynamically update the criticality of spaces or places and use thecriticality to prioritize settings, alarms, and/or other featuresrelating to the spaces or places. The criticality circuit 2010 includesa dynamic criticality determination circuit 2900 and a prioritydetermination circuit 2902.

As shown in FIG. 25, the profiles circuit 2002 stores a defaultcriticality, and assigned criticality, and an effective criticality foreach space or place. For example, in the example shown criticality isstored in space attributes 1502 of a space profile 1500. The defaultcriticality is sourced from the space or place profile for a genericspace or place of that type. The assigned criticality is a criticalityassigned by a system administrator, installer, or other user input. Theeffective criticality is the actual, update to date criticality of thespace or place as updated by the dynamic criticality determinationcircuit 2900.

The dynamic criticality determination circuit 2900 receives the assignedcriticality from the profiles circuit 2002 and external factors from theenvironmental control assets 1904 and/or other sources. For example,external factors may include a calendar or scheduling application thatincludes information about the types of activities occurring at a spaceor place. Based on the assigned criticality and the external factors,the dynamic criticality determination circuit 2900 recalculates theeffective criticality and assigns it to the space or place (i.e.,provides the effective criticality to the profiles circuit 2002 forstorage with the space or place's profile). For example, if the externalinformation indicates that a critical experiment is being conducted in alab or a VIP is participating in an important meeting in a conferenceroom, the criticality for those spaces are increased to create a higheffective criticality. Effective criticality is thereby dynamic,repeatedly updated.

The priority determination circuit 2904 receives the effectivecriticalities for multiple spaces or places and compares the effectivecriticalities to determine a prioritization of spaces or places. Thepriority determination circuit 2904 may be communicably coupled to themode logic engine 2004 to provide the prioritization of spaces or placesto the mode logic engine 2004. The mode logic engine 2004 can use theprioritization to determine which modes should be used, for example byimplementing the mode needed by a highly critical space or place at theexpense of the modes available to a low-criticality space or place(e.g., where limited resources or other physical factors limitconcurrent mode combinations across spaces or places). Additionally,each space or place may have different modes together at differentlevels of effective criticality. Such an example is shown in thefollowing table:

Space Criticality Modes Settings Chemistry 3 Dangerous Experiment StrongPositive Pressure Lab (0.2 in WC) Alarm Priority = Highest 2Non-Dangerous Light Positive Pressure Experiment (0.05 in WC) AlarmPriority = High 1 Idle Neutral Pressure (0 in WC) Alarm Priority =Normal

The priority determination circuit 2904 may also provide theprioritization and criticalities to the graphical user interfacegenerator 2016. The graphical user interface generator 2016 uses theprioritization and criticalities to order, filter, and sort the alarms,faults, metrics, etc. provided to a user. For example, the graphicaluser interface generator 2016 may present alarms associated with a spaceor place with a high criticality in a way that interrupts otherfunctions of a graphical user interface. Meanwhile, alarms and faultsassociated with a low-criticality space or place may be presented in anunobtrusive view on the graphical user interface.

Unified View of Objects in the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 26, a block diagram 3000 showing the associationsbetween different objects as utilized by the unified control engine 1902is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Diagram 3000 centers onasset 3002. Asset 3002 has attributes, such as criticality and location,as well as functions, including changing modes and generating events.Diagram 3000 shows that an asset 3002 can be a space or place 3004 or anenvironmental control asset 3006.

An environmental control asset 3006 has a profile 3008 and may be eithera space 3010 or a place 3012. Arrow 3014 indicates that a space may bemade up of spaces, and arrow 3016 indicates that a place may be made upof places. Space 3010 is included in place 3012. Place 3012 (and thusalso space 3010) is included in an enterprise 3018. An environmentalcontrol asset 3006 is either a device 3020 or a collection of devices3022. A device 3020 may be included in a collection of devices 3022.Environmental control asset 3006 is located in a space or place 3004 andcontrols the environment of space or place 3004.

Asset 3002 is controlled by mode 3024. Mode 3024 may have attributes,such as a priority. A mode 3024 may be a collection of modes (i.e., asum of multiple modes, compromise between modes, etc.). Asset 3002 isfurther a part of a mode set 3026 that contains all other assets thatare affected by a mode change for asset 3002. Asset 3002 has anapplication 3028 that runs on an execution platform 3030 associated withthe asset. The execution platform 3030 may include one or more memorydevices and one or more processors to receive and store data and toexecute the applications and other functions described herein. Forexample, the execution platform 3030 may receive and store live datarelating to spaces and places (e.g., space utilization data). Thefeatures and functions disclosed herein for the asset 3002 are therebycarried out.

Data Aggregation and Sensor Unification in the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 27, a block diagram of the unified control engine1902 and the environmental control assets 1904 illustrating the use of aunified sensor network is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment.As shown in FIG. 27, the environmental control assets 1904 includedevices 104 (i.e., controllable devices, equipment, etc. that can affecta variable state or condition of a space or place) and sensors 102.Sensors 102 are network-connected. Sensors 102 may include any varietyof types of sensors that measure different physical phenomena, collectdifferent types of data, connect to the unified control engine 1902 viavarious network protocols, and are positioned anywhere in or around aspace or place. Some sensors 102 may be conventionally associated with aparticular building domain. In general, in the systems and methodsdescribed herein, the sensors 102 are domain-agnostic (i.e., are notdefined by an association with a particular building domain).

The sensors 102 collect various types of data and provide that data tothe data aggregation circuit 2014 of the unified control engine 1902.The data aggregation circuit receives and processes the sensor data.More particularly, the data aggregation circuit sorts the data based onthe spaces and/or places that each sensor 102 is located in and uses thedata to generate attributes of the spaces and places. In some cases, anattribute may be sensed directly by one or more sensors 102 (e.g., airtemperature in a space sensed by a temperature sensor). In other cases,the attribute may be derived from data provided by one or more sensors102. For example, data from a first sensor may be used to make aninitial estimate of an attribute, and a data from a second sensor may beused to verify or improve the accuracy of that estimate. As anotherexample, data from more than one sensor may be necessary to capture anattribute relating to more than one space. Many such combinations ofdata from multiple sensors to generate an attribute are possible.

The data aggregation circuit 2014 then provides attributes to theprofiles circuit 2002. The attributes are stored either with placeattributes 1552 in a place profile 1550 or with space attributes 1502 inspace profile 1500. The attributes are sensor-agnostic: that is, theeach attribute describes a characteristic of the space or place (e.g.,temperature, occupancy) independent of the type(s) of sensor(s) thatprovided the data used to generate the attribute.

The attributes are then provided to environmental control assetcontroller 2012 and/or other elements of the unified control engine(e.g., mode logic engine 2004) and used to control devices 104. Controlof the devices 104 is thus based on the attributes generated from thesensor data provided by the sensors 102, as well as on the spaceprofiles 1500, place profiles 1550, and other factors (e.g., modes,criticality, priority). Because the attributes are independent of thetype(s) of sensor(s) used to generate the attributes, the controls basedon the attributes are also independent of the type(s) of sensor(s) usedto generate the controls. Thus, the unified control engine 1902 canseamlessly control a device conventionally associated with a firstbuilding domain based on data from sensors of one or more other buildingdomains. The unified control engine 1902 can therefore also seamlesslycontrol multiple devices conventionally associated with multiplebuilding domains based on data from a sensor conventionally associatedwith one building domain. Further details, examples, and advantages ofthis unified approach are detailed below.

Referring now to FIG. 28, a detailed view of the data aggregationcircuit 2014 of the unified control engine 1902 is shown for anoccupancy aggregation use case, according to an exemplary embodiment.More particularly, an instance of the data aggregation circuit 2014 withan occupancy aggregator 3100 is shown. The occupancy aggregator 3100 isconfigured to aggregate occupancy data relating to a place fromenvironmental control assets 1904 located in a variety of child spacesof the place. As used herein, occupancy is a count of the number ofpeople in a space or place. In general, the data aggregation circuit2014 receives data from the plurality of sensors, determines one or moreattributes for one or more spaces or places based on the data, andstores the attributes in the appropriate space profiles 1500 or placeprofile 1550. In the example shown, the data aggregation circuit 2014includes occupancy calculators 3104, 3108 and an occupancy aggregator3100. It should be understood that the data aggregation circuit 2014 mayinclude any suitable data processing components for receiving,analyzing, and sorting sensor data into attributes of spaces or places.

In the example of FIG. 28, a camera 3102 is located in space “Room A”and is configured to measure occupancy of space Room A (i.e., the numberof people in Room A). For example, the camera 3102 may provide a rawvideo feed to an occupancy calculator 3104 that uses animage-recognition technique to count the number of occupants in thespace. Meanwhile, a passive infrared sensor 3106 in space “Room B” isalso configured to provide data to a second occupancy calculator 3108 todetermine the occupancy of the space “Room B.” The occupancy calculators3104, 3108 provide an occupancy time series to the occupancy aggregator3100. The occupancy calculators 3104, 3108 use a common data model toformat and tag the occupancy time series, such that the occupancy datais normalized across types of sensors used to generate it. Sensor datamay then be indistinguishable across sensor types. The occupancy of roomA may then be stored with space A attributes 1502 while the occupancy ofroom B may be stored with space B attributes 1502 in space profiles1500. The aggregate occupancy may be stored as a place attribute 1552.

In conventional systems, data generated by devices as in this example isonly used to for local control of devices of specific domains. Forexample, in a conventional system, the data from the passive infraredsensor 3106 may be used to control the lights in Room B, but could notbe used to control devices of other domains (e.g., HVAC, access,security) or for other spaces. However, as shown in FIG. 28, theoccupancy aggregator 3100 aggregates occupancy data from multiple spacesto provide place-level occupancy features.

Additionally, the occupancy aggregator 3100 aggregates occupancy datawithout regard to the domain or type of sensor used to collect thatdata. As shown in FIG. 28, the occupancy aggregator 3100 aggregatesoccupancy data from a camera 3102 and a passive infrared sensor 3106into a combined occupancy metric. The data aggregation circuit 2014thereby provides for additional data analytics and controls featureswithout the need for installing a uniform set of dedicated sensorsacross spaces. The attributes stored bye the space profiles 1500 and theplace profile 1550 are agnostic of the type(s) of sensor(s) used togenerate the data, the physical phenomena measured by the sensor(s), thetype of network(s) used by the sensor(s), or the domain conventionallyassociated with a given sensor.

The network of sensors, the data aggregation circuit 2014, and theprofile attributes provide several advantages outlined in the followingexamples:

First, a sensor primarily intended for a first purpose or typicallyassociated with a first domain (e.g., a camera associated with buildingsecurity) may be used to provide an attribute useful for control of adevice conventionally associated with another building domain (e.g.,HVAC). For example, the camera video feed from a building securitycamera may be used to provide an occupancy attribute, which is then usedto generate a temperature setpoint for a HVAC device. In some cases, onesensor is used to generate multiple attribute, with each attributeuseful in a different building domain.

Second, multiple different sensors and different types of sensors can beused together to provide more complete coverage of sensibleareas/regions of space or place. For example a first sensor (e.g., acamera) may only view a portion of a space. A second sensor (e.g., apassive infrared sensor) may detect motion in another portion of aspace. The data from both types of sensors are used by the dataaggregation circuit 2014 to determine an attribute for the space thatbetter reflects the whole space and thereby gives better data than justone sensor. A device from any domain can be controlled using theaggregated data.

Third, multiple different sensors and different types of sensors can beused together by comparing redundant or duplicativevalues/metrics/points measured in different ways to improve accuracy orreliability of an attribute. For example, a first sensor (e.g., acamera) may only view a space. A second sensor (e.g., a passive infraredsensor) may detect motion in a space. A third sensor may be carbondioxide meter that measures changes in the carbon dioxide in the air. Afourth sensor stream may be based on the number of Wi-Fi enabled devices(e.g., smartphones) connected to a Wi-Fi network for a space. All foursensors give data relating to the number of occupants of the room. Bycomparing the data from all four sensors and combining them into asingle occupancy count attribute, the error may be substantiallyimproved beyond that possible using only one sensor. Attributes in thespace profile may thereby be made more accurate through the use ofmultiple sensors, including across building domains.

Referring now to FIG. 29, a block diagram 3300 illustrating an exampleof a unified sensor network is shown, according to an exemplaryembodiment. A space 3302 has a lighting occupancy sensor 3304 and avideo occupancy detector 3306 (i.e., the example of FIG. 29 correspondsto the example of FIG. 28). The lighting occupancy sensor 3304 may beprimarily/conventionally associated with the lighting domain (i.e.,designed for use in detecting occupants for the sake of turning on andoff lights), while the video occupancy detector may beprimarily/conventionally associated with a security domain (i.e., usedfor surveillance). Despite any such differences, the association betweenthe lighting occupancy sensor 3304 and the space 3302 and between thevideo occupancy detector 3306 and the space 3302 are indistinguishable.The space 3302 also has an application 3308 that uses data from thelighting occupancy sensor 3304 and the video occupancy detector 3306 forpeople counting, going beyond the primary/conventional applicationsassociated with these sensors. The sensors 3304-3306 supply data in anormalized format, for example as specified by a common data model. Theapplication 3308 may then treat occupancy data from the lightingoccupancy sensor 3304 as indistinguishable from data collected from thevideo occupancy detector 3306. The design and development of application3308 may therefore be simpler and more efficient since it is reusingdata from sensors already in the space and not requiring additionalsensors to be added.

Unified Sensor Network

Referring now to FIG. 30, a unified sensor network for use with unifiedcontrol engine 1902 and/or UBMS 600 is shown, according to an exemplaryembodiment. In the example of FIG. 30, a first space 3202 is served by afirst set of sensors and a second space 3204 is served by a second setof sensors. More particularly, the first space 3202 is served bymultiple fire detection devices 3206, and asset sensor 3208, atemperature sensor 3210, an intrusion sensor 3212, and a CO₂ sensor3214. Each fire detection device 3202 includes a fire sensor 3216 and asensor network access point 3218. Each fire sensor 3216 is structured todetect fire (e.g., to detect smoke, to detect heat). Each sensor networkaccess point 3218 is structured to facilitate communication of the firedetection device 3206 with other fire detection devices 3206 and with aspace controller 3220 over a sensor network 3222. The sensor networkaccess points 3212 are also configured to support wireless communicationwith sensors 3208-3214. The asset sensor 3208, temperature sensor 3210,instruction sensor 3212, and CO₂ sensor 3214 connect wirelessly to thesensor network 3222 via the sensor network access points 3212.

The second space 3204 is served by multiple IP lighting devices 3224, anintrusion sensor 3226, and a CO₂ sensor 3228. Each IP lighting device3224 includes lighting 3230 that provides light to the second space3204, a temperature sensor 3230, and an infrared sensor 3232. The IPlighting devices 3224 are communicably coupled to a network switch 3236,for example via Ethernet. The network switch 3236 is also communicablycoupled to a wireless access point 3240. The wireless access point 3238provides a wireless network that provides for communication between theintrusion sensor 3226 and the CO₂ sensor 3228 and the network switch3236. The network switch 3236 is also communicably coupled to a spacecontroller 3240 for the second space 3204.

The space controllers 3220, 3240 are thereby communicable with a varietyof sensors of various domains that use various types of networks,protocols, etc. to provide sensor data to the space controllers 3220,3240. More generally, then, FIG. 30 illustrates that sensors andcontrollers may interconnect regardless of technology available in aspace (e.g., sensors 3208-3214 connected via fire devices 3206 orsensors 3232-3234 embedded in lights connected via Ethernet) andprotocol (e.g., Wi-Fi mesh, Modbus, Ethernet, BACnet, KNX). Awide-variety of solutions suitable to particular spaces and places withparticular missions and purposes are therefore available. Additionally,sensors can be added in a plug-and-play manner without needed to installadditional infrastructure or resources. Because any type of sensor usingany protocol can be added, easy expansion is facilitated and the laborcost of installation is dramatically lowered.

Still referring to FIG. 30, space controllers 3220 and 3240 areconnected to a place controller 3242 and a user interface 3244 via anenterprise IP network 3246. The place controller 3242 is therebycommunicably coupled to the various sensors that serve the first space3202 and the second space 3204, and uses sensor-provided data from anyspace regardless of the type of network that links the controllers 3220,3240-3242 to a particular sensor. The place controller 3242 isstructured to provide place-based features, controls, functions, etc.that use one or more sensors from each of multiple spaces. Examples ofsuch features are described in detail below.

User interface 3244 allows a user to view, via a single graphical userinterface, data provided by a variety of different types of sensors formultiple spaces. User interface 3244 also allows a user to accessplace-based functionality relating to the sensors.

Referring now to FIG. 31, an example of an implementation of across-domain sensor network is shown, according to an exemplaryembodiment. In the example of FIG. 31, the occupancy of a space is beingdetected by two sensors. A first sensor 3402 is suspended from theceiling 3404 and may be primarily/conventionally associated with thelighting domain (e.g., manufactured by a lighting company). Lightingdevices are pervasive in places and spaces, and are therefore a populartype of device to include additional sensors in. However, space designand other constraints may limit the ability of the lighting domain toprovide all the sensors needed to capture reliable data for entirespaces and places. FIG. 31 illustrates how a unified sensor network canhelp eliminate the effects of those constraints.

As shown in FIG. 31, the first sensor 3402 is a passive infrared sensorstructured to measure occupancy in the space, for example a cafeteria.However, a light fixture 3406 is also suspended from the ceiling 3404and is positioned between the first sensor 3402 and an obstructedportion of the space. That is, the view of the first sensor is partiallyobstructed by the light fixture 3406, such that the first sensor 3402cannot measure occupancy of the obstructed portion of the space. Thisobstruction problem may be particular to the space shown (e.g., acafeteria) because of the type of light fixture suitable for that spacewhich creates the obstruction.

In the example shown, the space is therefore designed so that a secondsensor 3408 is used to measure occupancy of the obstructed portion ofthe space. In other cases, the first sensor 3406 is not used, and thesecond sensor 3408 is chosen instead to measure occupancy of the space.The second sensor 3408 is embedded in a fire device (e.g., a fire alarmstrobe that is required by regulations to have a clear line of sight toall space occupants), and may therefore be primarily/conventionallyassociated with the fire domain. The second sensor 3408 thus alsoprovides occupancy data for the space. A different space, on the otherhand, may not have obstructions that limit the effectiveness oflighting-based sensors. In such a space (e.g., an office), the space maybe designed to use lighting-based sensors. Thus, sensors may be chosenfor a space that are suitable for that particular type of space andwithout the confines of traditional or conventional boundaries betweenbuilding domains or sensor types.

As discussed above, the first sensor 3402 and the second sensor 3408both provide occupancy data to a controller (e.g., unified controlengine 1902) that can use the data to determine the total occupancy ofthe space. In some cases, the data from each sensor isindistinguishable, such that total occupancy is the sum of the occupancymeasured by each sensor 3402-3408. In other embodiments, the data fromthe first sensor 3402 and the second sensor 3408 is compared todetermine any overlap between the occupancy data to generate a moreaccurate/reliable occupancy measurement (e.g., to avoid counting oneoccupant twice).

Referring now to FIG. 32, an example of place-based functionality madepossible by a unified sensor network is shown, according to an exemplaryembodiment. In the place-based functionally shown, an asset can betracked throughout a place using the various types of sensors availablein various types of spaces. More particularly, a crash cart 3500 istracked through rooms in a hospital (e.g., building 500), shown in FIG.32 as room A 3502 and room B 3504. The location detection circuits 3508,3518 and the location tracking circuit 3510 may be elements of dataaggregation circuit 2014.

A camera 3506 is positioned in Room A 3502. Room A 3502 is a type ofspace that is suited to having a camera for security or other purposes(e.g., an equipment storage area). The camera 3506 provides a video feedto a location detection circuit 3508. The location detection circuit3508 processes the video feed and determines whether the crash cart 3500is visible in the video feed (i.e., is in room A 3502). If the locationdetection circuit 3508 determines that the crash cart 3500 has enteredroom A 3502, the location detection circuit 3508 generates and transmitsa normalized indication of the location of the crash cart 3500 to alocation tracking circuit 3510 (e.g., “Crash Cart ID AA0001 entered RoomA at 7:34”). The location detection circuit 3508 continues to monitorthe video feed from the camera 3506, and determines when the crash cart3500 leaves Room A 3502. The location detection circuit 3508 thengenerates and transmits another normalized indication of the location ofthe crash cart 3500 (e.g., “Crash Cart ID AA0001 left Room A at 10:21”).

The crash cart 3500 may then travel through a hallway (where it is alsotracked) to Room B 3504. Room B 3504 includes Bluetooth beacons 3512that can detect the presence of the crash cart 3500 (e.g., the crashcart 3500 includes a Bluetooth transmitter). Room B 3504 may be apatient room. The Bluetooth beacons 3512 provide raw data relating tothe detection of the crash cart 3500 to location detection circuit 3514.The location detection circuit 3514 then generates and transmits anormalized indication of the location of the crash cart 3500 to thelocation tracking circuit 3510 (e.g., Crash Cart ID AA0001 entered RoomB at 10:22).

The location tracking circuit 3510 is thereby made aware of the locationof the crash cart 3500 without needing to deal with specific sensorinterfaces and protocols. The unified network and the common data modelmake it possible to convert different technologies to a uniform timeseries of location indications that the location tracking circuit 3510uses to produce a history of the asset (i.e., crash cart 3500) location.The location tracking circuit 3510 can then answer the inquiries aboutthe location of the crash cart 3500 by simply looking at the locationhistory (e.g., “Where is Crash Cart ID AA0001 Now”). The locationtracking circuit 3510 may generate an attribute to store in placeprofile 1550 that indicates the location of the crash cart 3500.Applications, mode logic, or other control functions that use thelocation of the crash cart 3500 as in input can then look up the crashcart location attribute in the place profile 1550 and use the attributeas needed, independent of the sensors or data processing steps used tocreate the attribute.

Plug-and-Play Sensor Installation in the Unified Sensor Network

Referring generally to FIGS. 33-34, methods for sensor installation areshown. More particularly, FIG. 33 shows a conventional process forinstallation of a sensor in a building domain system. FIG. 34 shows anexpedited, plug-and-play installation process for sensors in the unifiedsensor network and unified building management system described herein,according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 33, a flowchart of a process 3600 for sensorinstallation is shown. More particularly, process 3600 is a traditionalsensor installation workflow showing the manual actions conventionallyrequired to install a sensor in a building domain system. At step 3602,the sensor is physically installed in a space. The sensor is physicallypositioned in the space and connected (wired, plugged in, etc.) to acontroller or building network. At step 3604, a user configures thecontroller connected to the sensor to recognize the sensor. At step3606, the user adds the sensor to logic equations in the controller.That is, the user must manually ‘teach’ the controller what to do withdata provided by the sensor. At step 3608, the user exposes the sensoron the network (via the controller) to any other controllers on thenetwork that the user wants to use the sensor's data. At step 3610, theuser configures the additional controllers to recognize the sensor(i.e., to receive data from the sensor, to know the location of thesensor, etc.). At step 3612, the user manually adds the sensor to logicequations in the controllers. The user must therefore determine whateach controller should do with the sensor data and code that into theadditional controllers. At step 3614, the system is tested to verifythat sensor data is being received and used as intended.

Referring now to FIG. 34, an improved, plug-and-play installationprocess 3700 is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. At step3702, the sensor is physically installed in a space by a technician(i.e., positioned in space, coupled to the network, etc.). Once thetechnician physically installs the sensor, automated actions occur asindicated in FIG. 34 and described below.

At step 3704, the sensor broadcasts its presence on the network. Forexample, the sensor may transmit its identity and other attributes(e.g., space or place, data type(s) provided, etc.) tocontrollers/control functions on the network. At step 3806, all controlfunctions interested in that type of data link to the new sensor.Control functions here refer to controllers, applications, etc.,including discrete computing devices and software programs running oncontrollers, servers, etc. Each control function may include a libraryof sensor types that the control function is interested in (i.e., thatthe control function can use to generate controls or metrics, would beimproved by using, etc.), and may compare that library to the sensor'sbroadcast to determine whether to link to the sensor.

At step 3708, the sensor and the controllers auto-detect the space thesensor is located in, for example based on a common data model. At step3710, the sensor sends configuration and characteristics data to thelinked controllers/control functions. That is, the sensor tells thelinked control functions information about the controller, such as whatdata it provides, characteristics about that data, timing of that data,and other relevant information.

At step 3712, the controller adds the sensor to the controllerconfiguration based on the space the sensor was added to and defaultoperations programming (e.g., applications, modes) that define how thecontroller will utilize the sensor based on the purpose of the space.The controller may store rules and automation for how to integrate anewly-connected sensor into the operation of space- and place-basedcontrol. A space- or place-profile for the space or place associatedwith the controller may facilitate this automated incorporation. Forexample, a space- or place-profile may store a list of the types ofsensors or the types of data that are useful to that space or place, aswell as logic for how that data is useful (e.g., what attributes thesensor enables and how to use those attributes). Because the sensor isintegrated into space- and place-based control, the data provided by thesensor may be incorporated and used seamlessly across domains. Forexample, a new temperature sensor may be used to monitor roomtemperature for HVAC purposes, to detect fire for fire detection andsafety purposes, and by a water system to trigger freeze alarms. Thesensor and the controllers/control functions that use it are therebyautomatically configured.

At step 3714, the technician can test the system. The manual steps ofprocess 3700 only include physical installation of the sensor (step3702) and testing of the system. In some embodiments, the sensor andcontrol sequences associated with the sensor are also automaticallytested.

Space Utilization Calculations with the Unified Control Engine andUnified Sensor Network

Referring now to FIG. 35, a block diagram of an example of a spaceutilization circuit with examples of various utilization data sources isshown, according to an exemplary embodiment. In general, the spaceutilization circuit 200 is structured to provide utilization metrics forspaces and places that captures the important way(s) each space or placeis actually used across various types of spaces and places. That is, thespace utilization circuit 200 captures utilization metrics based on theway people behave in spaces or places, the way things are used or arepresent in spaces or places, and the way things are consumed in spacesor places, depending on which types of data are most relevant tounderstanding the utilization of a particular type of space as definedin a space profile.

As shown in FIG. 35, a space utilization circuit 200 for a place iscommunicably coupled to the profiles circuit 2002. In some embodiments,space utilization circuit 200 is included in unified control engine1902. As shown in FIG. 35, the space utilization circuit 200 includes aspace utilization normalizer 250 and a space utilization predictor 254.In some embodiments, although shown as separate components in FIG. 35,the space utilization circuit 200 also includes an occupancy aggregator220, a space utilization by equipment circuit 226, and a spaceutilization by volume circuit 228, and a resource consumption calculator270 described in detail below. In some embodiments, the spaceutilization circuit 200 is an application 3028 that runs on executionplatform 3030 of FIG. 26, and runtime/live/historical utilization datamay be stored on and used by the execution platform 3030.

In general, the space utilization circuit 200 and the systems andmethods described herein solve several deficiencies of conventionalbuilding utilization technologies. More particularly, conventionalmethods rely on a single type of data, a single method of datacollection (i.e., a single type of sensor), a single or limited numberof types of spaces, and/or make broad assumptions about human activityin estimating utilization. In contrast, as described in detail below,the space utilization circuit 200 facilitates the determination of spaceand place utilization metrics using multiple types of data sourced frommultiple types of data sources based on how spaces are actually designedand used. The space utilization circuit 200 facilitates the calculationof utilization metrics for each space individually, as well asaggregated place utilization metrics or utilization metrics for anycombination of spaces.

In the example of FIG. 35, the space utilization circuit 200 serves aplace that includes five spaces (i.e., Space A, Space B, Space C, SpaceD, and Space E). Each of the five spaces is a different type of spaceand has a different space profile stored in the profiles circuit 2002.The space profiles indicate which type of data and which type of datasources are most relevant for calculating a utilization metric for agiven space.

As indicated by the corresponding space profiles, Space A is aconference room, Space B is an office area, and Space E is an lobby.Because human occupancy is typically the most important type ofutilization for these types of spaces, the space profiles for Spaces A,B, and E indicate that occupancy should be used for utilizationcalculation. Furthermore, the space profiles indicate which sensorsshould be used to determine occupancy, for example based on the sensorsthat are already available in the spaces. As shown in FIG. 35, occupancyin space A is determined using camera 210 that creates a video feedprocessed by person detection circuit 212 to count people. Occupancy inspace B is counted by a passive infrared sensor 214, and occupancy inspace E is determined based on the number of user Wi-Fi-enabled devices216 connected to a wireless network for space E.

Notably, occupancy in space A and B is measured by directly sensing thepresence of humans in the spaces, while occupancy in space B is measuredindirectly by counting the presence of electronic devices in space B.These diverse ways of measuring occupancy for various spaces aredetermined by the space utilization circuit 200 based on the spaceprofiles in the profiles circuit 2002, which specify the sensorsavailable in the spaces and/or the expected behavior of people in thespaces. For example, an office area may use sensors that identify thepresence of ID badges in the space as employees are likely to carry thebadges, while a public area such as a lobby may use a camera or Wi-Fiusage count because the public would not carry the company's ID badge.

The data from the person detection circuit 212, the passive infraredsensor 214, and the devices 216 is processed by occupancy calculators218 to determine occupancy for each space, which is then aggregated inoccupancy aggregator 220. The occupancy aggregator 220 then transmitsthe occupancy data for spaces A, B, and E to the space utilizationcircuit 200. Occupancy is thus used to determine an utilizationattribute for spaces A, B, and E.

The space profile for space C indicates that space C is a laboratory andthat the utilization attribute for space C can be calculated based onthe schedule of experiments in the space and the equipment involved ineach experiment. Thus, the space utilization circuit 200 is communicablewith an experiments schedule system 221 that provides data relating towhat experiments are being run and when those experiments are run, andexperiments profiles database 222 that indicates what equipment isinvolved in the different experiments and the extent to which thatequipment is used during each experiment, and an equipment placementdatabase 224 that indicates what equipment is included in Space C. Thedata from the experiments schedule system 221, the experiments profilesdatabase 222, and the equipment placement database 224 is aggregated ina space utilization by equipment circuit 226. The space utilization byequipment circuit 226 use the data to calculate a space utilizationattribute for Space C. The space utilization attribute for space Creflects the use of equipment in space C.

The space profile for space D indicates that space D is a warehouse and,accordingly, that the most relevant utilization metric is the volume ofmaterials stored in space D. To determine the volume of materials storedin space D, a space utilization by volume circuit 228 uses data from avolume measurer 230 that processes images from a camera 232 to estimatethe volume of material in space D. The space utilization by volumecircuit 228 also receives data from an inventory tracking system 234that tracks materials that enter and exit space D. The inventorytracking system 234 may include an asset tracking sensor 236 (e.g., aRFID transceiver, a barcode reader). The space utilization by volumecircuit 228 unifies these two types of data and calculates a singleutilization attribute for space D. Thus, the utilization attribute forspace D reflects the actual usage of available storage volume in thewarehouse.

The space profile for Space F indicates that Space F is a bathroom, andthat the most relevant data for calculating an utilization attribute isthe consumption of resources (e.g., soap, paper towels, toilet paper,water) in the space. Utilization for Space F is thereby based on what isbeing consumed in the space. Accordingly, Space F includes smartdispensers 272 connected to a resource consumption calculator 270. Thesmart dispensers 272 include soap dispensers, towel dispensers, toiletpaper dispensers, sinks, toilets, etc. that provide data relating totheir rate of use (e.g., a count of number of uses, data tracking amountof a soap/towels/water/etc. used, a remaining level of a resource). Thisdata is used by the resource consumption calculator 270 to generate aspace utilization attribute for Space F based on how resources areconsumed in the space. The consumption-based utilization attribute maybe more useful in planning cleaning, restocking, maintenance etc. thanpeople counting in Space F.

Thus, in general, the space utilization circuit 200 (including theoccupancy aggregator 220, the space utilization by equipment circuit226, and the space utilization by volume circuit 228) uses spaceprofiles for the various spaces to determine a type of data that bestdefines the utilization of each space. The space utilization circuit 200then identifies the preferred sensors and/or other data sourcesavailable in each space that provide data of that type and receives datafrom those sensors and data sources. The space utilization circuit 200then determines algorithms for generating space utilization attributesand calculates the space utilization attributes. The space utilizationcircuit 200 tracks space utilization at an instant in time (e.g., thecurrent time) as well as store historical data to provide a history ofspace utilization over time.

Further, the space utilization attributes are received by the spaceutilization normalizer 250. The space utilization normalizer 250normalizes the various utilization attributes to provide a unifiedutilization metric. That is, the space utilization normalizer 250receives utilization attributes with various units and parameters (e.g.,number of people, hours of equipment usage, volume of stored material)and calculates a normalized utilization metric for each space thatindicates the utilization of that space in units that can be compared,summed, etc. across spaces regardless of the underlying data or datasource used to generate the normalized utilization metric. The spaceutilization normalizer 250 thereby facilitates comparison of utilizationacross diverse types of spaces (e.g., conference rooms and warehouses),as well as aggregation of utilization metrics of diverse spaces in aplace into a single place utilization metric.

In some embodiments, the space utilization normalizer 250 normalizeseach utilization attributed by comparing the value of the attribute to atarget value of that attributed stored in the space profile for thespace. The space utilization normalizer 250 accesses the space profilefor the space (or the place profile for the place) in the profilescircuit 2002 to retrieve a utilization target value for the space. Thetarget value may correspond to a maximum utilization (e.g., a maxcapacity of a room) and ideal utilization (e.g., a preferred level ofuse of a space) or some other value. The space utilization normalizer250 then compares the target value to the measured/determinedutilization attribute, for example by dividing the utilization attributevalue by the target value. The utilization attributes are therebynormalized to generate unified utilization metrics that reflect actualutilization of spaces relative to target utilization of spaces.

The space utilization normalizer 250 also generates a report 252 ofspace and/or place utilization. The report may show a percent of builtspace usage in time, or may be grouped by space and business use, orsome other organization. The report may be presented to a user for usein planning or other purposes, as described in detail below. A user mayselect specific spaces, groups of spaces (e.g., all restrooms), specificplaces, or other combination to include in the report 252 of spaceand/or place utilization or in the data provided to other applications.Thus, the user can chose to see utilization information for the spacesthat the user is interested in, regardless of the underlying datasources used to collect that utilization information, the physicallocation of the spaces, or any other characteristics of the spaces. Theuser is then provided with normalized utilization metrics that providethe user with the information the user desires.

In some cases, the report and/or other utilization data are provided tothe space utilization predictor 254. The space utilization predictor 254predicts future space utilization based on the past utilization data.Predictions from the space utilization predictor 254 and/or the report252 may be provided to an enterprise resource planning system 256, anenterprise work order system 258, and/or an energy management system260. The enterprise resource planning system 256 may use the utilizationreport and/or the predicted utilizations to plan space additions orreconfigurations. The enterprise work order system 258 may use theutilization report and/or the predicted utilizations to determine aschedule for maintenance, restocking, cleaning, etc. For example, a lowpredicted utilization may indicate a good time for maintenance. Asanother example, a high actual usage may indicate the need for immediaterestocking and/or cleaning.

The energy management system 260 may use the utilization report and/orthe predicted utilizations for planning energy consumption anddeveloping an energy management strategy. For example, the energymanagement system 260 may use the utilization report and/or thepredicted utilizations to reduce energy consumption of devices duringlow-utilization periods, and allow increase energy consumption duringhigh-utilization periods. One example of an energy management system 260is Metasys Energy Management by Johnson Controls, for example asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/821,472, filed Nov. 22,2017, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The space utilization circuit 200 thereby facilitates the creation ofnormalized utilization data that can be used for a variety of purposes.For example, a facility manager of a corporate office with two locationsmay want to understand if it is necessary to have two locations or ifone location could hold the capacity of both locations. The spaceutilization circuit 200 provides space utilization metrics for alloffice spaces at each location over time and facilitates the comparisonof capacity needs.

As another example, a facility manager for a university may want tounderstand which laboratories are not being utilized as often asoriginally intended to free up underutilized spaces for other researchactivities. The space utilization circuit 200 provides individual spaceutilization metrics for all laboratories (spaces) categorized by places(i.e., building, area of campus where the laboratory is located) tofacilitate identification of underutilized spaces. The utilizationmetrics can be based both on expected people count over time for thespace along with experiment scheduling from a research calendar.

As another example, an energy manager who is refining a building'senergy strategy may want to tune optimal start ramp-up/ramp-downstrategies based on the actual pattern of building use over the courseof time for a place, rather than based on set times of day. The spaceutilization circuit 200 provides a utilization metrics for many timesteps over the course time for the entire place to help identify howenergy usage and energy strategy can be better tuned to actualutilization of the place. The energy manager may be assisted byvisualizations and advanced metrics generated by the energy managementsystem 260.

As another example, a facility manager may want to only send cleaningstaff to restrooms that have been more heavily used (e.g., based on anumber of flushes, hand-washes, soap-distributions, etc.) instead ofsending cleaning staff to restroom on a fixed schedule. The spaceutilization circuit 200, using information stored in a space profile forthe restroom, determines that a number of flushes or hand-washes drawnfrom sensors in toilets, soap-dispensers, etc. provides a betterindication of bathroom utilization than a mere count of the number ofpeople that go in and out of the bathroom. The space utilization circuit200 and the space profile thereby facilitate understanding ofutilization based on the most relevant data for the particular space.The space utilization circuit 200 may provide a graphical representationof utilization to a user (e.g., via a user personal computing device).For example, FIG. 36 shows a graph 300 of utilization over time that maybe helpful in scheduling maintenance, cleaning, or other tasks.

As another example, a data center manager who is looking for availablespace in a server room may be more interested in current server capacityand server rack availability as an indication of utilization of theserver room rather than the conventional use of occupancy to determineutilization. Accordingly, based on information in the space profile forthe server room, the space utilization circuit 200 determines that thecurrent server capacity and server rack availability are the importantdata points to use for generating a space utilization metric for theserver room. The space utilization circuit 200 can then collect therelevant data and provide the data center manager with utilizationmetric that reflects the type of utilization that the data centermanager wants to know about.

As another example, a warehouse owner wants to understand spaceutilization based on what and how much is being stored in the warehouse.The space utilization circuit 200 thereby facilitates the generation ofa utilization metric that reflects the volume of materials stored in thewarehouse and/or the amounts going in and out, rather than an occupancyor other proxy for utilization of the warehouse.

The space utilization circuit 200, in communication with the profilescircuit 2002, thereby captures the type of utilization most relevant toa person's actual understanding of utilization for that space or place.

User Interface for Use with the Unified Control Engine

Referring now to FIG. 37, an interface 400 for a building managementsystem is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Interface 400 maybe generated by graphical user interface generator 2016 of the unifiedcontrol engine 1902. Interface 400 may be any interface that can be runon a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smartphone, placecontrollers, a server, etc. Interface 400 may be displayed via a touchscreen, a computer monitor, display, and/or any other device thatdisplays images. Interface 400 can incorporate multiple domains into asingle interface. For example, information and options relating to HVACdevices, security devices, lighting devices, and/or fire devices are allincluded in interface 400.

Interface 400 is shown to include place/space selection 402. Place/spaceselection 402 may allow a user to select a particular place (e.g., aspecific buildings, areas within buildings, etc.) and a space (e.g., anarea) within the place. Place/space selection 402 is shown to include aplace, JCI Medical center, Main Hospital, and Floor 1, according to someembodiments. In some embodiments, JCI Medical Center may be a campus ofhospital buildings. Main hospital may be one building in the JCI MedicalCenter campus. Floor 1 may be a particular floor in the Main Hospitalbuilding. Floor 1 is shown to include various spaces. The spaces includea Conference Room, a Front Lobby, an Admin Area A, an Admin Area B, aCafeteria A, a Cafeteria B, a Suite A, a Suite B, and a Room 01.

In interface 400, Front Lobby of spaces or places 402 is shown to beselected and thus, equipment serving space interface 404, space activityinterface 406, video interface 408, and potential problem area interface410 may all be related to the Front Lobby space. Equipment serving spaceinterface 404 may allow a user to view equipment of various systemsassociated with the Front Lobby space and make operating changes to theequipment. For example, in FIG. 37, the HVAC icon of equipment servingspace interface 404 is selected (i.e., an HVAC filter has been selectedso that HVAC devices serving that space are shown). For this reason, theHVAC equipment relationships (AHU 2003 serves VAV 3155) are displayed inequipment serving space interface 404. A user may interact with eitherpiece of equipment to cause equipment serving space interface 404 todisplay more information and/or open a control interface for eitherdevice. The devices included on the interface 400 may include firedevices, lighting devices, access devices, HVAC devices, securitydevices, and any other type of device relating to the space or place. Auser may make operating changes to these devices. For example, inequipment serving space interface 404, a user may adjust a VAV, an AHU,a chiller system, and/or a boiler of an HVAC system associated with theFront Lobby space.

Space activity interface 406 includes time series activity informationassociated with the Front Lobby space (i.e., a history of activity).Space activity interface 406 may be based on data received from firesystems, lighting systems, access systems, HVAC systems and/or securitysystems associated with the Front Lobby space. Space activity interface406 displays information pertaining to all systems (e.g., HVAC,security, fire, etc.) associated with the Front Lobby space. In thisexample, there is a low temperature warning, a particular door has beenforced open, a camera is offline, and a particular user has commanded aparticular door to be unlocked. Because all of these events aredisplayed together in a time ordered sequence, the space activityinterface 406 facilitates an inference by the user that the HVAC alarmmay be caused by the door being propped open. Such an inference would bemuch harder to determine for a user if the user needed to use multipleinterfaces to view the same data.

Video interface 408 is shown to display a live video feed of a securitycamera associated with the Front Lobby space and further includes aselection of video feeds. The Front Lobby space may include a pluralityof video cameras. Each of these cameras may provide a live video feed tovideo interface 408. A user, such as a security person, may switchbetween the various video feeds of video interface 408. In someembodiments, video interface 408 detects movement in one or more of thevideo feeds and displays the most relevant video feed. In someembodiments, a particular video feed displays a particular door and/oregress or ingress point of the Front Lobby space. In the event that asecurity system detects that a particular door or window has been brokenand/or has been forced open, video interface 408 may display the videofeed that displays the particular door and/or window that has beenforced open. In this regard, interface 400 may store informationpertaining to what each video feed displays. For example, camera 1 maypoint at a particular door 1 that security system has a security system1 for. In this regard, camera 1 may be associated with security system 1so that interface 400 can display video feed from camera 1 in responseto determining that security system 1 has detected an intrusion (e.g.,door forced open, window broken, etc.). Further, when an alarm istripped as detected by the security system, some and/or all of the videofeeds of the cameras of the Front Lobby space can be recorded by videointerface 408 and saved to a location that a user can review therecorded video feeds. In one example, a particular door and/or window isforced open, and is detected by the security system of the Front Lobbyspace. The particular door is associated with a particular camera of theFront Lobby space, for example, the particular camera points at theparticular door and captures a video feed of the particular door. Videointerface 408 records and saves the video feed of the particular cameraof the Front Lobby space so that a user can review the video feed.

Potential problem area interface 410 may display information pertainingto a potential problem for the Front Lobby space (i.e., currentpotential problems). For example, potential problem area interface 410displays zone information, door information, and camera information. Thepotential problems include that one zone temperature is low, anotherzone temperature is high, the backdoor has been forced open, and/or aparticular camera is offline. For example, a facility operator who isresponsible for the device infrastructure including HVAC devices andsecurity devices (but not for monitoring actual security of a building)can see that a camera is offline without having to use multiple userinterfaces.

Configuration of Exemplary Embodiments

The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown inthe various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only afew embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, manymodifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements may bereversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of discreteelements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of thepresent disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method stepsmay be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments.Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be madein the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplaryembodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and programproducts on any machine-readable media for accomplishing variousoperations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implementedusing existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computerprocessor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or anotherpurpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of thepresent disclosure include program products comprising machine-readablemedia for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or datastructures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be anyavailable media that can be accessed by a general purpose or specialpurpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example,such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROMor other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or storedesired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions ordata structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose orspecial purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Wheninformation is transferred or provided over a network or anothercommunications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combinationof hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views theconnection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection isproperly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above arealso included within the scope of machine-readable media.Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions anddata which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function orgroup of functions.

As used herein, the terms “circuit”, “control engine,” “controller,” and“generator” used herein may include hardware structured to execute thefunctions described herein. In some embodiments, each respective“circuit” may include machine-readable media for configuring thehardware to execute the functions described herein. The circuit may beembodied as one or more circuitry components including, but not limitedto, processing circuitry, network interfaces, peripheral devices, inputdevices, output devices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, a circuitmay take the form of one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits(e.g., integrated circuits (IC), discrete circuits, system on a chip(SOCs) circuits, etc.), telecommunication circuits, hybrid circuits, andany other type of “circuit.” In this regard, the “circuit” may includeany type of component for accomplishing or facilitating achievement ofthe operations described herein. For example, a circuit as describedherein may include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND,AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers,capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, and so on).

The “circuit” “control engine,” “controller,” or “generator” may alsoinclude one or more processors communicably coupled to one or morememory or memory devices. In this regard, the one or more processors mayexecute instructions stored in the memory or may execute instructionsotherwise accessible to the one or more processors. In some embodiments,the one or more processors may be embodied in various ways. The one ormore processors may be constructed in a manner sufficient to perform atleast the operations described herein. In some embodiments, the one ormore processors may be shared by multiple circuits (e.g., circuit A andcircuit B may comprise or otherwise share the same processor which, insome example embodiments, may execute instructions stored, or otherwiseaccessed, via different areas of memory). Alternatively or additionally,the one or more processors may be structured to perform or otherwiseexecute certain operations independent of one or more co-processors. Inother example embodiments, two or more processors may be coupled via abus to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threadedinstruction execution. Each processor may be implemented as one or moregeneral-purpose processors, application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signalprocessors (DSPs), or other suitable electronic data processingcomponents structured to execute instructions provided by memory. Theone or more processors may take the form of a single core processor,multi-core processor (e.g., a dual core processor, triple coreprocessor, quad core processor, etc.), microprocessor, etc. In someembodiments, the one or more processors may be external to theapparatus, for example the one or more processors may be a remoteprocessor (e.g., a cloud based processor). Alternatively oradditionally, the one or more processors may be internal and/or local tothe apparatus. In this regard, a given circuit or components thereof maybe disposed locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computingsystem, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server such as acloud based server). To that end, a “circuit” as described herein mayinclude components that are distributed across one or more locations.The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and programproducts on any machine-readable media for accomplishing variousoperations. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implementedusing existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computerprocessor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or anotherpurpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of thepresent disclosure include program products comprising machine-readablemedia for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or datastructures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be anyavailable media that can be accessed by a general purpose or specialpurpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example,such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROMor other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or storedesired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions ordata structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose orspecial purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinationsof the above are also included within the scope of machine-readablemedia. Machine-executable instructions include, for example,instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform acertain function or group of functions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A building management system comprising: aplurality of network-connected sensors installed in or around a placecomprising at least one space, the plurality of network-connectedsensors associated with multiple building domains; a profiles repositoryconfigured to store a plurality of predefined space profiles, at leasttwo of the plurality of predefined space profiles designated for adifferent type of space serving a different function; and a controlengine configured to: identify a space profile designated for the space,the plurality of predefined space profiles comprising the space profileand the space profile comprising one or more attributes of the space anda corresponding target value for each of the attributes; receive andprocess data from the sensors to determine an actual value for each ofthe attributes; determine a set of settings for one or more devices thatserve the space based on the target value for each of the attributes andthe actual value for each of the attributes; and in response todetermining the set of settings, distribute the set of settings to theone or more devices to cause the one or more devices that serve thespace to drive the actual value of each attribute toward thecorresponding target value defined by the space profile.
 2. The buildingmanagement system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configuredto: select the space profile from the plurality of space profiles, atleast two of the space profiles comprising different settings for theone or more devices that serve the space; and in response to selectingthe space profile, distribute the settings defined by the selected spaceprofile to the one or more devices that serve the space, whereindistributing the settings causes the one or more devices that serve thespace to operate in accordance with the settings defined by the selectedspace profile.
 3. The building management system of claim 1, wherein:the plurality of network-connected sensors comprise a first sensor thatmeasures a first physical parameter and a second sensor that measures asecond physical parameter, the first physical parameter and the secondphysical parameter having different units of measure; and the controlengine is configured to determine the actual value for a first attributeof the one or more attributes using data from the first sensor and datafrom the second sensor.
 4. The building management system of claim 3,wherein the control engine is configured to: calculate the actual valuefor the first attribute using the data from the first sensor; and verifyan accuracy of the actual value for the first attribute or a conditionindicated by the actual value of the first attribute using the data fromthe second sensor.
 5. The building management system of claim 1,wherein: the space profile comprises a first attribute of the space anda second attribute of the space, the first attribute and the secondattribute indicating different physical characteristics or conditions ofthe space; and the control engine is configured to: determine both theactual value for the first attribute and the actual value for the secondattribute using data from a first sensor of the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors; determine first settings of the set ofsettings for a first device of the one or more devices based on thefirst attribute; and determine second settings of the set of settingsfor a second device of the one or more devices based on the secondattribute, the first device and the second device associated withdifferent domains.
 6. The building management system of claim 1, whereinthe control engine is configured to: determine a first actual value of afirst attribute of a first space of the place; determine a second actualvalue of a second attribute of a second space of the place; identify aplace profile for the place, the place profile defining how the place isused; and enable a feature for the place based on the place profile, thefirst actual value of the first attribute of the first space and thesecond actual value of the second attribute of the second space.
 7. Thebuilding management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine isconfigured to: recognize an addition of a new sensor to the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors; establish a link with the new sensor;identify a space associated with the new sensor; receive data from thenew sensor; and use the data from the new sensor to determine firstsettings of the set of settings for a first device of the one or moredevices, the first device serving the space associated with the newsensor.
 8. A method comprising: installing a plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors in or around a place comprising at least onespace, the plurality of network-connected sensors associated withmultiple building domains; storing a plurality of predefined spaceprofiles in a profiles repository, at least two of the plurality ofpredefined space profiles designated for a different type of spaceserving a different function; identifying a space profile designated forthe space, the plurality of predefined space profiles comprising thespace profile and the space profile comprising one or more attributes ofthe space and a corresponding target value for each of the attributes;receiving and processing data from the sensors to determine an actualvalue for each of the attributes; determining a set of settings for oneor more devices that service the space based on the target value foreach of the attributes and the actual value for each of the attributes;and in response to determining the set of settings, distributing the setof settings to the one or more devices to cause the one or more devicesthat serve the space to drive the actual value of each attribute towardthe corresponding target value defined by the space profile.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: selecting the space profile fromthe plurality of space profiles, at least two of the space profilescomprising different settings for the one or more devices that serve thespace; and in response to selecting the space profile, distributing thesettings defined by the selected space profile to the one or moredevices that serve the space, wherein distributing the settings causesthe one or more devices that serve the space to operate in accordancewith the settings defined by the selected space profile.
 10. The methodof claim 8, further comprising: measuring a first physical parameterusing a first sensor of the plurality of network-connected sensors;measuring a second physical parameter using a second sensor of theplurality of network-connected sensors, the first physical parameter andthe second physical parameter having different units of measure; anddetermining the actual value for a first attribute of the one or moreattributes using data from the first sensor and data from the secondsensor.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: calculating theactual value for the first attribute using the data from the firstsensor; and verifying an accuracy of the actual value for the firstattribute or a condition indicated by the actual value of the firstattribute using the data from the second sensor.
 12. The method of claim8, wherein the space profile comprises a first attribute of the spaceand a second attribute of the space, the first attribute and the secondattribute indicating different physical characteristics or conditions ofthe space; the method further comprising: determining both the actualvalue for the first attribute and the actual value for the secondattribute using data from a first sensor of the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors; determining first settings of the set ofsettings for a first device of the one or more devices based on thefirst attribute; and determining second settings of the set of settingsfor a second device of the one or more devices based on the secondattribute, the first device and the second device associated withdifferent domains.
 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:determining a first actual value of a first attribute of a first spaceof the place; determining a second actual value of a second attribute ofa second space of the place; identifying a place profile for the place,the place profile defining how the place is used; and enabling a featurefor the place based on the place profile, the first actual value of thefirst attribute of the first space, and the second actual value of thesecond attribute of the second space.
 14. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: recognizing an addition of a new sensor to the plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors; establishing a link with the new sensor;identifying a space associated with the new sensor; receiving data fromthe new sensor; and using the data from the new sensor to control afirst device of the one or more devices, the first device serving thespace associated with the new sensor.
 15. One or more non-transitorycomputer readable media containing program instructions that, whenexecuted by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors toperform operations comprising: installing a plurality ofnetwork-connected sensors in or around a place comprising at least onespace, the plurality of network-connected sensors associated withmultiple building domains; storing a plurality of predefined spaceprofiles in a profiles repository, at least two of the plurality ofpredefined space profiles designated for a different type of spaceserving a different function; identifying a space profile designated forthe space, the plurality of predefined space profiles comprising thespace profile and the space profile comprising one or more attributes ofthe space and a corresponding target value for each of the attributes;receiving and processing data from the sensors to determine an actualvalue for each of the attributes; determining a set of settings for oneor more devices that service the space based on the target value foreach of the attributes and the actual value for each of the attributes;and in response to determining the set of settings, distributing the setof settings to the one or more devices to cause the one or more devicesthat serve the space to drive the actual value of each attribute towardthe corresponding target value defined by the space profile.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, the operationsfurther comprising: selecting the space profile from the plurality ofspace profiles, at least two of the space profiles comprising differentsettings for the one or more devices that serve the space; and inresponse to selecting the space profile, distributing the settingsdefined by the selected space profile to the one or more devices thatserve the space, wherein distributing the settings causes the one ormore devices that serve the space to operate in accordance with thesettings defined by the selected space profile.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 15, the operations further comprising:measuring a first physical parameter using a first sensor of theplurality of network-connected sensors; measuring a second physicalparameter using a second sensor of the plurality of network-connectedsensors, the first physical parameter and the second physical parameterhaving different units of measure; and determining the actual value fora first attribute of the one or more attributes using data from thefirst sensor and data from the second sensor.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 15, the operations further comprising:calculating the actual value for the first attribute using the data fromthe first sensor; and verifying an accuracy of the actual value for thefirst attribute or a condition indicated by the actual value of thefirst attribute using the data from the second sensor.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the spaceprofile comprises a first attribute of the space and a second attributeof the space, the first attribute and the second attribute indicatingdifferent physical characteristics or conditions of the space; theoperations further comprising: determining both the actual value for thefirst attribute and the actual value for the second attribute using datafrom a first sensor of the plurality of network-connected sensors;determining first settings of the set of settings for a first device ofthe one or more devices based on the first attribute; and determiningsecond settings of the set of settings for a second device of the one ormore devices based on the second attribute, the first device and thesecond device associated with different domains.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 15, the operations further comprising:determining a first actual value of a first attribute of a first spaceof the place; determining a second actual value of a second attribute ofa second space of the place; identifying a place profile for the place,the place profile defining how the place is used; and enabling a featurefor the place based on the place profile, the first actual value of thefirst attribute of the first space, and the second actual value of thesecond attribute of the second space.